Brother's Loyalty
by Shana Hager
Summary: Luigi made a vow to Mario which he swore to keep. So when a vengeful foe lures him into a nightmarish death trap which has also managed to claim his bro, he must risk his life to find him before it's too late. Rated T for action/adventure violence, peril, language, mild alcohol use and frightening imagery.
1. I'll Be There for You

**Brooklyn, NYC**

Nine-year-old Luigi Mario sat in the Principal's office, fuming. His hands were still clenched in his lap, knuckles bruised and throbbing. Across from him sat Principal Silverstein, gazing severely at the fourth-grader.

"Okay, Luigi," said the Principal. "Would you like to explain why you attacked poor Mitchell in the halls just now?"

"Poor Mitchell"? Surely, the Principal was kidding! Mitchell was just one of the bullies who made life a living Inferno for Luigi and his elder brother, Mario. While Luigi was the main target due to his shyness and awkwardness, both brothers had caught some of the vitriol due to their Italian-American heritage. Kids could be real monsters sometimes. But God bless Mario—he'd always defend Luigi from this cruelty. Unfortunately, Mario couldn't be everywhere at once, and the bullying could get physical as well as verbal. He'd come home with bruises, scratches, scrapes and a black eye more times than he could count. Luigi wasn't as weak and helpless as these bullies were led to believe, though—if any of them dared try their garbage on Mario, then he'd whirl on them in an instant and tell them to back off.

Something similar to that had happened today.

Luigi had been minding his own business when he heard Mitchell's voice, and he spun around to see him trying to antagonize Mario. Mario was doing his best to ignore the boy, but Mitchell was persistent. As Mario turned to stride away, Mitchell decided that he wouldn't have any of that and called Mario—a name.

Not one of the average names tossed around by schoolyard bullies, but a _horrible_ name. A name that was considered derogatory toward Italians.

Volcanic rage exploded in Luigi's soul when he heard Mitchell call Mario that name. The elder brother had turned back toward Mitchell, eyes narrowed, and probably would've attacked the little monster himself had Luigi not acted. Luigi was on Mitchell before anyone could react, tackling him and pinning him to the ground, driving his tiny fists into Mitchell's ugly mug over and over. Very colorful words had spewed from Luigi's lips as his anger came loose, Mitchell whimpering and sniveling like the coward that he was. They were all cowards, saying and doing these horrible things but turning tail when their targets decided to fight back. Mario watched the action with greedy eyes, while other students arrived on the scene to cheer Luigi on. It had taken three teachers and two hall monitors to pull Luigi off of Mitchell.

Which brings us back to the present.

Luigi took a deep breath and explained the incident to the Principal, who listened patiently.

"He's been pushing me and pushing me, and I'm tired of it," said Luigi.

"I shall discuss this matter with Mitchell later," said the Principal. "Regardless, I cannot condone the violent behavior you demonstrated toward him. Therefore, I have no choice but to put you in detention this afternoon, and the Vice-Principal is notifying your parents as we speak."

"What was I supposed to do? Stand there and let Mitchell push my bro around?"

"You could've told somebody, like one of the teachers."

"We tried that already," huffed Luigi. "Didn't work out too well."

"Watch the attitude, Luigi, before you get in more trouble," warned the Principal as Luigi glowered. "You are to report to the library immediately after class dismisses for the day, where you will stay for a period of thirty minutes. Are we clear?"

"Yes," muttered Luigi.

"You are excused, Luigi."

Luigi got up and stalked out of the office.

Mario waited for him just outside, and he'd heard everything.

"Are you serious?" he asked incredulously. "The Principal's giving you detention?"

"Yeah," said Luigi.

"Mitchell should be the one punished, not you!" snapped Mario.

"The Principal said something about talking to him later," said Luigi, "but I highly doubt that'll do anything."

"It's not fair," said Mario. "I should march into that office and give the Principal a piece of my mind."

"And get into trouble with me? No way!" cried Luigi. "After Mitchell called you that name, you looked ready to knock that smug look off his face yourself. Then _you_ would've been the one in detention."

Mario stared. "You're—willing to face detention _and_ a lecture from our parents—for me?"

Luigi nodded. "You're my _brother_, Mario. I have to protect you. And you've always been there for me."

"You can't protect me from everything, you know."

"Well—I can at least try," said Luigi.

The two brothers hugged, deeply and tenderly.

"I love you, Luigi," said Mario. "You're the best brother ever."

"I love you, too, Mario," replied Luigi, "and no matter what, I'll always be there for you. Always."

Mario grinned. "Always."

* * *

**Mushroom Kingdom**

**1985**

"Hey—are you all right?" Luigi asked as he ran over to Mario.

"Yeah," said Mario. "I'm fine."

In the course of one month, their lives had taken on a new and surprising course. Two average plumbers from Brooklyn were now on their way to becoming liberators of a magical fantasyland, which they discovered by crawling through a mysterious green pipe. Some of the mushroom-shaped locals, called Toads, had taken them in and answered all of their questions before explaining the dire situation they were in. The Mushroom Kingdom, as this fantasyland was called, was under constant attack by a turtle tribe called the Koopa, and some MK denizens had defected over to their side. The Bros had encountered a few of these turtles in the sewers of the Big Apple, and they'd spent the last two years looking for the source of this strange infestation. Anyway, the Koopa invaders had turned much of the MK's populace into blocks and bricks and whatnot. To salt the wound, the only person who could reverse this transformation, the Toadstool Princess, was in the clutches of the Koopa King! Many an effort had been made to rescue her, but so far, no success.

So, the Mario Bros offered to help out with this rescue mission, and in return, the Toads had promised to help them find their way home.

It was an adventure peppered with new discoveries, from Mushrooms that allowed them to grow, to flowers that allowed them to throw fireballs, to Stars that could make them invincible. They could get past enemies by simply hopping on them, and if they subdued a Koopa Troopa, then they could kick the shell into crowds of other enemies. By working together, Mario and Luigi managed to get past increasingly difficult courses, spanning land, sea and sky during their trek through eight worlds.

Everything had culminated in a battle against the fearsome Koopa King on a bridge over bubbling lava. The beast belched fire, slashed with his claws, threw hammers at them, tried to pounce on them and even tucked into his shell and spun at them, but the Bros had arrived well-equipped and well-armed. Whenever Koopa downed one brother, the other would defend him until he regained his bearings. If one was unable to evade an attack, then the other took that attack in his stead. Instead of letting their blows fall every which way, the two of them had coordinated their attacks, slowly cutting their adversary down to size with fireballs, punches and kicks. Together, they'd landed an uppercut on Koopa powerful enough to launch him away.

"How about you?" asked Mario. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah—thanks to you," Luigi replied.

After catching their breath, the two proceeded down the corridor.

Greeting them was a beautiful, fiery-haired woman in a white dress with red accents, holding a pair of pumps in one hand. Daintily, she slipped on the pumps before gliding toward her rescuers.

"You must be the Mario Brothers," she said. "I've heard so much about you."

"And—we've heard a lot about you, Princess," said Mario, captivated by her beauty.

The Princess smiled. "Call me Peach," she said.

"Okeydokey—Peach," said Mario.

Peach nodded. "Thank you, Mario," she said. "Thank you, Luigi."

She leaned down and kissed both brothers on the nose, making them sigh and blush.

The seven Toad retainers the Bros freed along the way arrived in a fancy convertible and drove them back to the MK, Peach using her magic to turn the blocks and bricks and whatnot back into Toads.

They arrived at Peach's castle, where the Toad retainers opened the car doors to let everyone out. And then—it happened.

"Hey!" shouted a Toad. "There he is! It's Mario—the brave hero who saved our Princess!"

Luigi was taken aback. _Wait, what?!_

The other Toads crowding around broke into cheers at once.

"All right! Let's put our hands together for the dashing plumber from Brooklyn, Mario!"

"Hip, hip, hooray for Mario!"

"Mario, Mario, he's our man! If he can do it, anyone can!"

"Way to go, Mario! You sure showed that Koopa what for!"

"Go, go, Mario!"

"You did it, Mario!"

"You've won a gold medal, Mario!"

Mario's face lit up as the grateful Toads surrounded him, lifted him onto their shoulders and carried him into the castle, singing his praises and showering him with confetti. Luigi, on the other hand, was showered with nothing. It was almost as if he wasn't there!

The party celebrating Peach's return wasn't any better. For some reason, Mario received all of the credit for defeating Koopa and rescuing her—even after Luigi had landed some hefty blows on that turtle! Luigi's name wasn't even brought up once, not even by the Toads who initially took in the brothers. Save for a few slices of the cake Peach helped bake, Luigi didn't get the slightest hint of recognition for his role in bringing the MK's ruler home.

But seeing the happiness on Mario's face, Luigi held his tongue. He didn't want to come across as spoiled or entitled. Today was an important day for Mario, after all. So, after having his fill of cake and other refreshments, Luigi retreated to his room and poured everything out in his diary before dancing to the music on his stereo. It always made him feel better.

Later that evening, however, Mario paid Luigi a visit, having sensed that something was wrong.

"Hey, Luigi," Mario greeted after Luigi let him in.

"Hey," Luigi replied.

"What's the matter?"

"I'm just tired," said Luigi. "We went through eight worlds, after all."

"Luigi—we both know that's not true. At the reception earlier, you were brooding a little bit."

Mario sat next to Luigi. "You know you can tell me anything, Lil' Bro. What's bothering you?"

"The fact that I was barely acknowledged," Luigi said after a while. "I put in just as much effort as you, and yet they…" He trailed off.

"Luigi—I'm so sorry," gasped Mario. "I'll talk to them and get this straightened out as soon as I can, all right?"

Slowly, Luigi's face brightened. "Thanks, Bro," he said softly.

Mario put an arm around Luigi. "I know things have been up and down for us since we first arrived in the MK," he said, "but we're brothers first, right?"

"Right," said Luigi, "and we have to look out for one another."

"Definitely," said Mario.

"Was I upset that you got all of the fame? Yes," confessed Luigi, "but it doesn't matter. At the end of the day, you're my blood, and I'm happy to help you."

"Oh, Luigi…"

"Remember the vow that we made after that scrap with Mitchell?" asked Luigi.

"Yeah," said Mario.

"All these years later, that hasn't changed," Luigi said quietly. "I'm still gonna fight for you. And I'm still gonna defend you, even if it requires my life."

"I believe you."

"I'll never abandon you," promised Luigi. "Nothing—and I mean _nothing_—will stop me from coming to your aid."

The two Bros hugged, savoring the contact.

"I'm here for you, Mario," said Luigi. "Always…"

**Please R&R!**


	2. Welcome to Our Mansion

**MK**

**October 2001**

_Dear Valued Customer,_

_ Congratulations! We are thrilled to inform you that you're the lucky winner of our mansion giveaway contest! Enclosed is a map with directions to your new property. Hurry—you have 60 days to claim your prize!_

_Thank you,_

_K.B._

Luigi turned the letter over and over in his hands. He didn't recall entering a contest. How did he have the time, in between plumbing jobs and helping Mario defend the MK against Koopa over the past sixteen years? But that didn't mean he wasn't excited at the prospect of owning a mansion.

Deciding that you only live once, Luigi crossed the room to his phone and dialed Mario's number.

"Hello?" answered Mario's voice.

"Hey, Bro," greeted Luigi.

"Luigi! How are you?"

"I'm great. Listen, you won't believe what's just happened."

"What?"

"I just won myself a big mansion in a contest!"

"_Dio_, that's wonderful! When did you enter this contest?"

"That's the thing—I don't even remember entering _any_ contest," said Luigi, "but who am I to pass up something like this?"

"Hm. You're right," said Mario.

"They're giving me 60 days to claim my new mansion," said Luigi. "Meet me there, and we'll celebrate—what do you say?"

"Sounds like a plan," said Mario. "See ya in a jiff."

"See ya," said Luigi before hanging up.

He glanced out his window. The sun had just set, and the sky was quickly darkening.

_Better get a move on_, thought Luigi as he grabbed his trusty flashlight and set out, carefully following the map's instructions.

This map took him to a wooded locale he knew all too well—Boo Woods. Who in their right mind would build a mansion here? A slight shiver ran through Luigi as he trekked through the eerie forest, his flashlight the only source of light. The wind moaned through the gnarled, leafless tree branches and seeped under Luigi's coveralls and shirt, making him shiver more. He put some more speed under his boots—the sooner he was out of this place, the better.

Barren earth crunched under his feet as a sepulchral fog materialized in the woods, weaving through the trees and beginning to swirl around him. This whole environment symbolized lifelessness and imminent death, and Luigi didn't like it one bit. Gripping his flashlight, he walked faster and faster, until he was almost running. He thought he heard sinister chuckling as he journeyed on, and his heart began to beat double-time in his chest.

Luigi shuffled to a stop when he saw the building in front of him. A grim, three-story mansion with black-gray walls and a greenish-colored roof. This roof was arched in three places, the left and right arches closely resembling devil horns. All of the mansion's windows were dark, save for the front two windows on the second floor. It was almost as if the mansion was _glaring_ at Luigi—

He glanced down at his map, and he was shocked to learn that this mansion was indeed the mansion he was looking for. But why did it look so—_different_?

Crows cawed after Luigi as he cautiously walked up the steps and eased open the front door.

"Hello?" he called.

No answer. Only his flashlight penetrated the foreboding blackness.

Luigi tried the double-doors in front of him, only to find that they were locked. A peculiar feeling arose in the pit of his stomach as he walked up the steps and tried the doors on the second floor.

All of them were locked.

And there was no Mario in sight.

"Mario…?" Luigi called.

Maybe he'd run into a delay—maybe he'd come across someone in trouble and decided to help. That was how Mario was, after all. Luigi debated giving his big bro a buzz and letting him know he'd arrived at his "mansion"—if one could call it that.

Calling him—that sounded like a good idea.

He fished out and flipped open his cell phone, his fingers trembling as he dialed Mario a second time. The phone rang and rang—and rang.

And then it kicked him to voicemail.

"Hey, Mario. It's me, Luigi. Just wondering if you're okay—you haven't arrived at the mansion yet. When you get this, please call me."

He hung up and headed back downstairs, where a giggle caught his attention.

Luigi gasped and glanced toward the ceiling, where an orange—thing—floated, holding a key. Leisurely, it sailed around the man in green a few times before letting the key drop to the floor. Giving one last giggle, the orange thing disappeared into the mansion.

"Okay," muttered Luigi as he palmed the key. "Now we're getting somewhere."

After trying the key on all of the doors, Luigi discovered that it unlocked the double doors on the second floor. His hand shook as he inserted the key in the lock, turned it, and then twisted the knob to open the door.

"Hello?" Luigi uttered in a small voice as he crept inside the parlor. "Is anyone here?"

Someone was there, all right—an orange ghost who popped out in front of him and gave him the scare of his life!

Luigi screamed, leaping at least several inches off the ground as his hair stood up on end. His back bumped up against the door, his breath coming fast, as the ghost laughed and reached out toward him.

"_No! Get away from me!"_ shrieked Luigi, struggling to get away.

Then, he saw a mysterious suction pull the ghost away from him.

This suction came from an odd-looking vacuum cleaner on the back of a small, elderly man who'd just arrived on the scene. This man was clad in a lab coat and was bald, save for a tuft of white hair on the crown of his head.

Luigi leaned against the wall, clutching his heaving chest, as the elderly man engaged in a weird game of tug-of-war against the orange ghost, the latter trying to escape the vacuum. Suddenly, the man lost his balance and fell forward onto his belly, the ghost beginning to wildly drag him around the room. With a violent jerk, the ghost finally broke free, sending the old man tumbling. He sat there, slightly dazed, as the ghost laughed at him and disappeared.

Back on his feet, Luigi rushed toward his downed rescuer. "Oh, my God—are you okay?" he asked as he helped the elderly man up.

"I'll live," replied the man. "I'm used to taking knocks like this in my line of work. How about you, youngster? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, thanks to you," Luigi laughed in relief.

The man dusted himself off. "I'm getting too old for this ghost-catching tomfoolery," he mused.

"Still, that was amazing," said Luigi. "You've got a lot of heart. But where in God's name did that ghost come from?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out," replied the man. "Oh! We haven't been properly introduced. I'm Professor Elvin Gadd, but you can call me E. Gadd, or Professor Gadd, or Gadd. Whichever you prefer."

"Nice to meet you, Professor Gadd," said Luigi, sticking out his hand. "My name's Luigi."

The two of them shook hands.

"I've heard a little about you, Luigi," said Gadd. "You have a brother named Mario, and the two of you defend these parts from a giant turtle, is that correct?"

"That's the short version," Luigi told him.

Gadd wiped his brow. "This house," he said. "I swear it seems to have more ghosts every day!"

Luigi frowned. "Wha—what are you talking about? Are you saying this house has always been here?"

"For several weeks now," said Gadd. "What's a young fellow like you doing around here, anyhow?"

"I was told I won a free mansion in some contest, and the map led me right here," said Luigi, showing Gadd his map.

Gadd pursed his lips as he gazed over the map.

"You just saved my life," Luigi went on. "How can I ever repay you?"

Gadd looked into Luigi's eyes. "No thanks is necessary for being in the right place at the right time," he said.

They whirled as three more orange ghosts materialized and stalked toward them.

"Oh, dear—this looks ugly," said Gadd. "All right, youngster, look lively! Follow me, posthaste!"

Hand in hand, Gadd and Luigi took off running, leaving the three ghosts—and the mansion—in their wake.

For now.

**Please R&R.**


	3. I Will Find Him

"So, you're saying you were told that you won the mansion in a contest?" asked Gadd. "That sounds quite fishy, if you ask me."

The two of them sat in the study of the professor's research laboratory, which Gadd had reassuringly told Luigi was the safest place at the moment.

"You said that the mansion had been here for several weeks," said Luigi, "and I received that letter earlier today. What kind of f—ed up trick is this, anyway?"

Gadd looked over at Luigi. "I think our paths were destined to cross," he said.

Luigi raised an eyebrow. "Really? How so?"

"You remind me of myself when I was your age. Nervous—but curious. You see, I spent my childhood and half of my adult life in the States, and I've always wanted a career in the paranormal. I moved to these woods in 1952, and I've called this cozy research lab my home ever since."

"And—that mansion wasn't there until recently?" asked Luigi.

"Do you believe the mansion actually exists?" Gadd asked back.

"Well—yeah," Luigi replied, puzzled.

"Strange," mused Gadd.

"What are you trying to tell me, Professor?" asked Luigi.

"The spirits have fooled you, Luigi," said Gadd. "I don't know if it's a dream, an illusion or whatever, but I surely wouldn't be too happy winning a haunted house."

"I didn't even know it was haunted," shrugged Luigi. "Guess I should've known better, huh?"

"Don't be too hard on yourself," Gadd said consolingly. "You had no way of knowing."

On those words, Luigi suddenly remembered. "Mario!" he gasped.

Gadd cleared his throat. "About that—a guy with a red hat kind of like yours waltzed right up to the mansion without even stopping to chat—and he never returned. I thought he was a dream, too!"

"That was no dream—he's my brother!" Luigi said, a little hotly.

Gadd held up his hands apologetically.

"You're saying—he's still in there?!"

The elderly professor sighed heavily. "I'm afraid he could be stuck in there, Luigi," he said somberly, "and he won't stand a chance against these ghosts without my help."

"_Dio_," breathed Luigi, rising to his feet. "I gotta go in after him!"

He started forward, only for Gadd to stop him.

"Hold on there, youngster," said Gadd. "You can't just rush in there unarmed and unprepared. I need to teach you some ghost-hunting basics first."

Luigi settled down. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he conceded.

Gadd picked up the vacuum-cleaner he'd used earlier and held it out to Luigi.

"This is the vacuum cleaner I engineered to catch ghosts," Gadd explained. "I call it—the Poltergust 3000! She can suck up all kinds of things!"

"Poltergust, huh?" mused Luigi as he slid on the vacuum. "That's a catchy name."

He adjusted the straps so that the apparatus fit comfortably on his back. Then, he shifted the weight from right to left and back again before hefting the nozzle in his hands.

Gadd then steered Luigi toward his lab's training area.

"However strong you or Mario might be, ghosts are powerful beings—they can't be defeated using conventional methods. The Poltergust is your best bet—it's the only thing they fear."

"Ghosts have fears, too," murmured Luigi, "that's a _little_ comforting."

Luigi now stood in a room with six circular trapdoors around him. Gadd directed him to stand in the middle of these trapdoors and slowly began to dim the lights.

"Ghosts seem to like darkness, and they avoid light," he said. "So, if you hit them with your flashlight beam all of a sudden, then they'll be stunned momentarily! Then, it's vacuuming time! Here, have a try—you'll learn more that way than just listening to me yap about it."

The training room went dark, and an orange ghost emerged from one of the trapdoors, grinning as he lunged at Luigi. But this time, the man in green stood his ground. He steadied his hands, steadied his breathing, and then flashed his light at the ghost, freezing the spirit in place. Next, Luigi let the vacuum rip, pulling back against the ghost, like he saw Gadd do earlier. The ghost was captured in seconds.

"Well done! That's how you do it, Luigi," cheered Gadd.

Another ghost emerged from another trapdoor, and Luigi whirled on him immediately, stunning him and quickly wrestling him into the Poltergust.

"Surprise them with the light when they get close!" Gadd said to him. "Zing! Pow! They'll try to escape, so make sure you yank them in the opposite direction."

"Got it," said Luigi.

"Okay—the real training starts now," said Gadd.

A third ghost emerged from a third trapdoor. Luigi ran forward, stunned him and swiftly vacuumed him up with little difficulty.

"Ghosts won't always show up alone," cautioned Gadd, "but the basics are the same. Now, get ready for two ghosts!"

Two orange ghosts emerged from two side-by-side trapdoors. Coolly, Luigi stunned and vacuumed one of them while evading the other's attacks, and then captured the second one, as well.

"Try to get two or more ghosts at the same time," encouraged Gadd.

Luigi nodded, focusing as three ghosts emerged and closed in on him. Licking his lips, he maneuvered himself into position and managed to stun two ghosts at once. The third ghost nailed Luigi with a good wallop to the jaw, but he shook off the pain and braced backwards, allowing him to capture the ghosts. Finally, he stunned the third ghost when he tried to attack again, sending him off to join his buddies. He was surprised to see that his efforts yielded him some treasure, which he wasted no time collecting.

"Well done, Luigi!" said Gadd. "Don't let your guard down, though! Look! Here they come…"

Ghosts started emerging from all of the trapdoors, and Luigi quickly moved to a corner of the room, tense and waiting. They were millimeters from his face when he blindsided them with his flashlight, stunning about half of them. They began dragging him all over the place, but they were dealing with a young fellow in his twenties, not an elderly man. Luigi was more than able to keep up with these ghosts, shrugging off more punches like they were nothing.

Gadd watched as Luigi sucked up the last ghost. "Catching ghosts means using the flashlight and the Poltergust 3000 as a team," he said.

"I think I can do that," said Luigi.

After sending out two more waves of simulation ghosts, Gadd nodded in approval.

"That'll do!" he said jovially. "You caught 34 out of 36 ghosts—I'd say you're ready to look for your brother now!"

Luigi smiled. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"Looks like you worked up quite a sweat there. How about a little cool-down in the gallery? I'm quite proud of it, you know."

"Sure," said Luigi.

He followed Gadd to the room in question, where the professor gave him some ice for the bruises he'd sustained.

"I used to have 25 paintings to my name," said Gadd as Luigi studied the empty canvases. "My Famous Ghost Collection was complete. But now only the frames remain. It's a shame—a tragedy!"

Luigi held the ice pack against one of the larger bruises. "If you're gonna tell me that these portraits somehow came to life…"

"When it comes to ghosts, you've got to believe the unbelievable," said Gadd. "Something tells me that they've taken up residence in that mansion." He gave Luigi a boxy-looking device. "This is the Game Boy Horror. It has lots of features to help you as you explore the mansion. For example, you can view the mansion's virtual layout, or you can check the items you've collected."

"Great. I'd like to have a sense of where I'm going," said Luigi.

"And—I've built a part that will add even more functionality," Gadd went on. "But—I guess I left it in the back room. How forgetful…"

"Don't worry, Professor," said Luigi. "I'll get it for you."

Gadd beamed. "Thanks, Luigi."

Luigi headed into the back room and quickly found the missing part Gadd was talking about, which look like a giant-sized game cartridge for a Game Boy. Gadd looked over the moon when Luigi handed it to him.

"All right," said Gadd once he attached the component. "The search function has been added to the Game Boy Horror. Thanks, Luigi."

"Anytime," said Luigi.

"If you come across an item of interest, then you can use that function to scan it," said Gadd.

Luigi nodded distractedly. "Listen—may I go back to the training area, please?"

"Of course," said Gadd.

Assailed by thoughts of Mario, Luigi spent about ninety minutes in the training area, telling himself that his big bro was depending on him as those ghosts emerged from the trapdoor and converged on him. He took hit after hit from those ghosts, but he didn't stop. Slowly but surely, he was getting the hang of his new weapon and could stun three to four ghosts at once. However, he had Gadd run the simulation for him over and over until he managed to capture all of the ghosts.

Finally, the two of them sat in the living area, sharing a pitcher of ice-cold lemonade.

"There's something you need to know," said Gadd.

"What is it?" asked Luigi.

"At the end of the day, the Poltergust is just a vacuum, albeit one specially built for ghosts," said Gadd. "I know that nifty gadget will help you find your brother, but if you _truly_ want to find Mario, then you have to _believe_ that you'll find him. Fighting ghosts is less about the Poltergust and more about the one who wields the Poltergust."

"I see," Luigi said quietly.

"Are you ready to head into the mansion?"

Luigi slugged back the last of the lemonade and stood, his face set. "My bro's counting on me," he said.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'," said Gadd.

"Hang in there, Mario," said Luigi as he headed toward the lab's exit. "I'm gonna find you…"

He took a deep breath and squared his shoulders before taking the first step out of the lab's safe confines and into the hostile Boo Woods. Then, he took another step. And another. And another…

"Good luck, Luigi!" Gadd called after him. "Be careful!"

"I will!" promised Luigi.

Armed with the Poltergust 3000, Luigi cautiously but resolutely made his way back to that haunted mansion.

When he walked inside, however, he was shocked to find a Toad huddled in the foyer, in hysterics.

"Hey," Luigi said softly, kneeling beside the Toad. "What's wrong?"

"It's Mario," sobbed the Toad, whose name was Thad. "I can't find him anywhere!"

"Me neither," said Luigi.

"Mario was staying with Peach when you called him about winning a mansion, and she saw him off," said Thad. "When she didn't hear from him after a while, she tried to call him and got his voicemail. Then, she sent me to look for him. And then—when I got here, the place was full of ghosts, with Mario nowhere to be found. I just—freaked out, and I didn't know what to do! It was awful!"

_The ghosts must have him,_ thought Luigi, _and they don't want him to leave. But what do they want with him?_

"For God's sake, Luigi, you _have _to help me find Mario!" cried Thad. "If anything befalls him, then I don't know if I'll ever live with myself. And Peach will surely flip!"

Luigi set his jaw. "Leave it to me," he quietly vowed.

"All right!" cheered Thad. "You just made my dark and stormy night, Luigi! I knew I could count on you!"

The two hugged.

"Stay here, okay?" instructed Luigi. "I won't let the ghosts hurt you, and I won't let them hurt Mario. I will find him." His face hardened, and his eyes flashed with purpose as he tightened his grip on the Poltergust. "I _will_ find him."


	4. Danger Zone

Leaving Thad in the safety of the foyer, Luigi headed upstairs and into the parlor where that orange ghost had attacked him. Along the way, he vacuumed up cobwebs and used the suction to jostle a nearby chandelier, earning him some treasure. But when he entered the parlor, the room had gone completely dark. Remembering Gadd's advice and warnings, Luigi made sure his senses were on high alert.

He found more treasure to vacuum up before noticing the candles on a desk against the wall. Instead of the usual orange flame, these candles burned with a violet flame. This quickly aroused Luigi's suspicion.

_I wonder what would happen if I blew them out_, he thought.

Quickly, Luigi extinguished the candles—only to jump at the sound of giggling.

"Wh—who's there?!" he demanded, Poltergust at the ready.

One of the painting's eyes moved, glaring malevolently at him.

_"Who put out my candles?!" _a voice demanded. "_You, Mr. Lime-Green?"_

Luigi's heart jumped.

"_Well, dark rooms are dangerous around here…"_ taunted a second voice.

_"They love the dark," _added a third, _"and now they will get you!"_ Laughter.

"Who?" Luigi asked shakily. "_Who_ will get me?"

"_Wouldn't _you_ like to know?"_ chuckled the voices.

_"Now you're in for it,"_ a fourth voice joined in.

_"Just like little Red-Cap before you,"_ sighed a fifth.

_Mario!_ Luigi thought.

"What did you do to him?!" he demanded, but he only got cackling in response.

_"You'll never see him again," _said the voices. _"May you wander lost in the darkness—forever!"_

_"Are you afraid of the dark, little man?"_ the first voice mockingly asked. _"Well, are you?"_ The voice laughed sadistically. _"Here they come now. Good luck trying to fight them off—you'll need it."_

A deep, menacing chuckle—and then silence.

Luigi gasped as thorn-like structures magically appeared on the doors, trapping him inside. A familiar laugh sounded behind him.

He spun and found himself face-to-face with an orange ghost!

However, Luigi wasted no time gawking, stopping the ghost in his tracks with his flashlight and turning the vacuum on full-blast. But as soon as he captured that ghost, more appeared. He pressed his lips together and leaped into action.

The man in green had been unnerved by ghosts his whole life. When he was a child, he was worried that they'd pop out from under his bed and scare him. Even as an adult, he was still a bit skittish when it came to the paranormal. But what choice did he have now? Mario was being held somewhere, and Luigi was the only one who could get him to safety. And the only tools he had to help him combat these ghosts? A vacuum cleaner and a communications device shaped like a gaming console.

_Bring it on, I guess_.

Luigi captured the ghosts as quickly as they appeared, taking a few hefty punches to the abdomen and backside but refusing to let the attacks slow him down. Once he finally defeated the last ghost, the thorns on the doors disappeared, and a blue chest appeared in the middle of the room.

"More treasure?" Luigi asked aloud.

He opened the chest, and out popped a key.

"All right!" he cheered, flashing a peace sign. Keys were definitely more valuable than treasure!

Luigi tried the key on the door behind him and was thrilled to see that it worked.

This door opened into an anteroom, and Luigi gave a small yelp when that thorny barrier formed. Holding his Poltergust level with his shoulder, the man in green began to nervously hum to himself as he scoured the area for ghosts—and he heard voices humming along with him.

_They knew he was there!_

A ghost popped out and startled him, but he recovered quickly and captured him. He was followed by a different type of ghost—a pink or salmon-colored ghost who was slightly larger than the orange ghost. It took about a minute to subdue that one. Then, two orange ghosts tried to corner him, but he was ready for them, stunning them both and being tugged and yanked about before managing to capture them.

"What's _with_ these guys?" muttered Luigi.

An orange ghost and then a pink/salmon ghost then materialized, the latter managing to get a few good shots in before Luigi collected himself and turned the tide. Narrowing his eyes, he finally succeeded in subduing the two ghosts, and then the lights came back on, allowing him to proceed through the anteroom and into a wardrobe room.

There were ghosts hiding in the closets. Typical.

First, there was a blue ghost, and then an orange ghost tried to sneak up on Luigi while he was dealing with him. Luigi took a battering, but he battered the ghosts right back, sucking them into the vacuum. Then came another orange ghost, and then a green ghost who guzzled on banana peels and tossed them around so that Luigi could slip. It took a little while before Luigi got the timing right, stunning that ghost before he could eat a banana and dodging the thrown banana peels while steering clear of the peels already strewn on the floor. Then, another green ghost attacked, accompanied by an orange ghost and a gold ghost, and by the time he managed to capture them all, he was bruised up and growing unnerved.

"He has to be here somewhere," he chided himself. "You have to keep moving. You _have _to."

He turned and saw a key hovering atop a clothing rack, using his vacuum to get it down.

Luigi exited the wardrobe room and found himself on a second-floor balcony, where another crying Toad was huddled.

"Mario, where are you?" sobbed the Toad, whose name was Brad.

"I'm looking for him," Luigi said comfortingly.

Brad's head snapped up. "Luigi!" he cried. "How lucky that you found me!"

Luigi smiled. "You don't have to worry anymore, Brad. I'm here."

"I feel so much better now!" chirped Brad, wiping his tears. "Listen, you've _got_ to find Mario! I looked everywhere, but I can't find him! Where could he possibly be?"

"I won't stop searching this mansion until I find him," vowed Luigi. "Count on that."

"If there's anything I can do…" began Brad.

"Stay here in case he either shows up or manages to escape," Luigi told him.

Brad hugged him. "God be with you," he said.

After the talk with Brad, Luigi headed back to the foyer, whistling a tune. But just as he reached the foyer, the Game Boy Horror went off.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Look alive, Luigi, and keep a weather eye," said Gadd. "I detect spirits stronger than we've just seen lurking ahead."

Despite himself, Luigi shuddered.

"I think—it must be some of those escaped gallery ghosts," Gadd went on. "You should know that they're really different from the other ghosts you've seen so far."

"Are they smarter?" asked Luigi.

"They don't expose their hearts very easily," cautioned Gadd. "When you find such a ghost, scan them with the Game Boy Horror to search the heart for clues. Sometimes, you can learn the best way to surprise them!"

"Thanks for the tip," said Luigi.

"Anytime. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you, Luigi," said Gadd before hanging up.

Using the key he'd obtained in the wardrobe room, Luigi unlocked the door to a hallway and then proceeded into a study, where he met his first portrait ghost.

A blue ghost with a light brown moustache and chestnut colored hair sat on a rocking chair, reading a book. But before Luigi could deal with him, a regular blue ghost attacked him! Capturing him yielded plentiful gold coins, dollar bills and a ruby.

Now, he was ready to focus on the portrait ghost.

A scan with the Game Boy Horror identified this ghost as Neville, the Bookish Father. Neville was someone who enjoyed reading, and even in death, his nose was still in a book. However, he also tended to get quite drowsy—

"Hm," Luigi murmured. "Maybe that'll help."

"Ho, ho, ho, ho—go ahead, try to find me," echoed Neville's voice. "I can see you, but you can't see me…"

"Whoa!" cried Luigi, narrowly dodging a book sent his way.

The book levitated, whirling like a Frisbee about the study, trying to hit Luigi again and again. Luigi had to continuously evade this book while keeping an eye on Neville and waiting for the perfect moment to pounce.

And then the moment came.

Neville gave a big yawn and a stretch, exposing his heart. Bounding forward, Luigi stunned the ghostly bookworm and began vacuuming away his HP.

"Go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep…" Luigi rapidly muttered as he struggled with Neville.

As Luigi vacuumed the ghost, the latter dropped hearts and pearls of various sizes. The plumber always sought out sturdy objects, such as desks and walls, to brace himself against in order to keep Neville from dragging him about. But Neville was a strong bookworm, always finding ways to make Luigi slip and slide so he could break free. Luigi had to put up with that infernal book three more times before he finally defeated Neville. Did I mention that the book had managed to hit him more than once?

Luigi leaned against a bookshelf, gathering himself, and saw another chest appear in the study. He opened it to find another key.

"Worth it," he said as he pocketed the key and continued on his way.

Ghostly mice met him as he trekked down the hallway, which he could easily suck up. He also fell foul of a false door, which flung him against the wall when he opened it. Luckily, he emerged more stunned than injured, and he learned how to pinpoint a fake door by noticing the lack of a mat in front of it.

The key allowed Luigi to access the master bedroom. There, he found the ghost of a lovely young woman sitting in front of the mirror, brushing her hair. The Game Boy Horror identified her as Lydia, the Mirror Gazing Mother. She was married to Neville, and they had a son together, Chauncey.

"Isn't my hair just gorgeous?" Lydia mused. "Of course, I _do_ spend a lot of time on it. I was so bored coped up in that painting…" She sighed. "Now, I spend all my time in front of the mirror. It seems to scare people, though, so everything is coming up roses!"

Luigi couldn't help but roll his eyes. Vanity was one of the seven deadly sins, after all. Then, he noticed a gentle breeze rustling the curtains, which gave him an idea.

Moving quietly, he used the vacuum's blowing function to open the curtains, causing the breeze to enter the room.

"Oh, dear," said Lydia, standing up to shut the curtains. "Such a draft…"

Luigi stunned her without a word of prelude, and Lydia put up as much of a fight as her husband, nearly making Luigi lose his balance at least five times. The fight left Luigi slightly winded and with carpet burns—but it also won him a chest containing another key.

"Was she always so vain?" Luigi softly asked. "Did her vanity kill her?" He shuddered a bit at the possibility. "I don't know anything about these ghosts. Maybe after I find Mario, I'll read up on them…"

He collected whatever treasure he could find and exited the master bedroom.

Back in the hallway, he heard a baby's cry, and where there was a baby, there was usually a nursery. Maybe the nursery was the room this newest key would unlock—and he was proven correct.

A creepy, tinkly-bell tune played as Luigi searched the nursery and found a ghost baby, asleep in the crib. This ghost baby was adorable—in a spooky sort of way, of course. According to the Game Boy Horror, this was little Chauncey.

"You're so cute," said Luigi. "I hate to disturb your nap, but my bro's in this mansion, and I gotta find him."

"Horsey—rocky—horsey…" Chauncey murmured in his sleep.

Luigi glanced over and saw a rocking horse nearby.

"You—want to play on your rocking horse?" he asked. "Okeydokey then…"

Turning on the Poltergust, Luigi began to rock the horse back and forth.

Then, Chauncey appeared in front of him, wiping the sleep from his eyes.

"Hey," greeted Chauncey. "Wanna play with me?"

"Uh—sure," said Luigi. "Wh—what do you wanna play?"

Chauncey responded by sending three plush bears after Luigi. The man in green easily sucked them up. Then, he noticed a ball nearby.

"Gee, Chauncey, I really don't like this game," he said. "Let's play catch instead."

Luigi aimed carefully and launched the ball at Chauncey.

Chauncey was sent reeling backward, but then he recovered and gave Luigi a look that made him retreat two paces.

"Ow!" cried Chauncey. "You gave me an owie!"

"In my defense, you attacked me first," said Luigi.

But Chauncey would have none of it. "I just wanted to play with you! Argh! I _hate_ grown-ups!"

"All right, take it easy," Luigi said apprehensively, but he had his Poltergust leveled.

"Why do you have to be bigger than meeee?" Chauncey raged. "I've had enough!" He began waving his rattle around. "Small—Now grow smaller! Small! Itsy! Tiny! Little! Wee! Ga ga goo goo GA!"

Luigi was now a Lilliputian plumber standing in Chauncey's crib. Puzzled and frazzled, he looked around. How did he get here? What was going on?!

An angry baby's cry made him jump in the air, and he whirled in time to see a bunch of rocking horses come right at him. He hit the deck immediately, covering his head. Once the rocking horses passed, Luigi hopped to his feet to see a now-giant Chauncey looming over him, the sky around them turning blood-red for a few seconds as Chauncey opened his mouth and wailed in Luigi's face. His gut twisted as the baby brandished his rattle and shook it threateningly.

This was going to be anything but fun…


	5. Come Play With Me

Chauncey giggled as he stared down at his "playmate". "Now, _that's_ better," he said. "And now, we can _really_ have fun!" He giggled again.

Luigi stood there with the Poltergust, breath coming fast, waiting for Chauncey's next move.

Shaking his rattle, the baby summoned a giant rocking horse which nearly dive-bombed Luigi! The man in green leaped out of the way just in time.

"This isn't funny!" he chided as he got back up.

"To _you_, it isn't," retorted Chauncey, summoning another rocking horse, "but to me, it's hilarious. C'mon—let's play!"

Luigi cartwheeled aside as the second rocking horse rushed at him. "You are seriously lacking in the discipline department," he said.

Chauncey just grinned and shook his rattle again. Three balls dropped down and began bouncing about the crib, and Luigi had to avoid getting flattened by them. But when he noticed a ball bouncing near Chauncey, inspiration struck. If his parents weren't gonna discipline this baby, then _he_ would!

Luigi caught the bouncing ball in the Poltergust's nozzle, aimed for Chauncey's center of mass, and fired. It was a clean hit, sending the baby reeling and exposing his heart. Before he could recover, Luigi let the Poltergust rip.

"You are _so_ in for a time-out, mister!" he cried as Chauncey thrashed against the suction.

With his body braced against the side of the crib, Luigi managed to vacuum away about a third of his opponent's HP before Chauncey managed to escape.

"No fair!" wailed Chauncey. "No fair! No fair! No fair!"

He let out a wail so mighty that it shook the battlefield. Chill bumps began forming on Luigi's skin.

And then Chauncey began bouncing like the balls he'd summoned, trying to squash Luigi himself! As far as he could recall, he'd never thrown a tantrum like this when he was a child!

_But of course, he always had Mario to comfort him. Whenever he was upset at his parents, Mario would just give him a hug powerful enough to calm his sobs, his touch cooling his temper, speaking to him softly. And after he'd calmed down, Mario would help him see his parents' side of the story. Ah, Mario—he had a way of getting Luigi to listen to his parents_…

Luigi suddenly whirled on Chauncey, glaring daggers at him. The look made the little brat back off slightly, but alas, this wasn't to last.

The man in green caught his breath as Chauncey sent more rocking horses at him. His reflexes were always reliable, but that didn't stop him from taking several glancing blows from these oversized rocking horses. One even managed to knock him to the floor!

_I'm not gonna stay down, Chauncey. I made a vow, and I won't break it just because you're not having your way._

Luigi stood back up just as the bouncing balls bore down on him. There were more of them this time, and they were quicker. After taking blows to the shoulders, backside and the side of his chin, Luigi managed to snag one of the balls and launch it straight at Chauncey. Thus, another tug-of-war between them commenced!

"There's an _enfant terrible_, and then there's you," Luigi remarked, gripping his vacuum as tightly as he dared, sticky sweat rolling down his skin. "Neville and Lydia must've had the patience of a saint because—holy [bleep]."

"Oooh! You said a bad word!" Chauncey admonished. "Now, you're in _big_ trouble!"

Breaking free for the second time, the baby bounced joyfully after his opponent, managing to nail him a few times. The pain hardly registered, though.

"I've got you now!" Chauncey sang out as he summoned faster rocking horses, two at a time now.

Luigi had a difficult time dodging and leaping over them, but he stayed with it, nonetheless. Chauncey was almost defeated, anyway. All that was required was one more ball, and then Luigi could get his foe into the vacuum so his parents could give him a good talking-to.

_"Don't give up!"_

Luigi _knew_ that voice.

_"Don't give up! You've got this!"_

Wherever he was, could Mario see him? Or could he just sense his presence, like a sixth sense?

_Where are you, Mario? Where are they keeping you?_

_"You'll find me! I know you will. Just keep going. Keep going, Luigi…"_

Straightening, Luigi caught a ball as it bounced toward him and sent it back at Chauncey. The plumber's eyes flashed, and his face hardened as he had one last go at the infant with the Poltergust.

"Playtime's over," he announced in a low voice.

The nozzle kicked back slightly in his hands, and there was a satisfying _pop_ as Chauncey was finally sucked into the Poltergust. Luigi jumped into the air and struck a flashy pose as he landed.

"Yeah! I did it!" he cheered.

He breathed deeply and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he was back in the nursery, standing next to a gold chest. Luigi opened that chest and smiled when he saw a baby pink key with a heart shape on one end. He palmed it, pressed it to his lips and laughed.

The Game Boy Horror rang.

"Hey, Professor," Luigi said upon answering.

"Hey, Luigi—can you hear me?" asked Gadd.

"Loud and clear," replied Luigi.

Gadd sighed in relief. "Thank God you're okay! I lost contact with you all of a sudden—I was a tad worried."

"You're not gonna believe what just happened to me," said Luigi.

"Well—you seem to be a bit tuckered out after that long battle," said Gadd.

"I am," Luigi told him, "and the Poltergust is starting to get a little heavy."

"That's because boss ghosts tend to fill the Poltergust 3000 to bursting," said Gadd. "Why don't you head back to the lab? You'll have the opportunity to empty the Poltergust and recharge before heading into the second area."

"That sounds like an excellent idea," said Luigi. "I'll see you in a bit."

He hung up, pocketed the pink key and strode out of the mansion, feeling accomplished.

_I didn't even wet myself at the sight of a ghost_, he thought. _Progress comes in slow steps…_

But as he emerged from the mansion, the adrenaline rush wore off, and he became conscious of the blows he'd taken, the pain slamming into him hard and at once. He let out a gasp and leaned against the mansion's veranda, his mind beginning to spin.

_The Poltergust is full, and I haven't even found Mario_…

Breathing through the pain, he faced the mansion, which now seemed to be glowering down at him, a look which Luigi fiercely returned.

_I'll be back._


	6. Respite

Gadd was waiting for Luigi when he arrived at the lab, a big smile forming on his face when he saw the younger man. "Welcome back, Luigi!" he cried, hugging him. "Thank God you made it back in one piece. And I must say, you did a good job for your first try!"

"Thank you, Professor," said Luigi. "Listen—is there a safe place we can store these ghosts, like a vault or something?"

"I'm glad you asked," said Gadd, leading Luigi to several large machines connected by a conveyor belt.

"Take a gander at this," he said. "This fine piece of work took nearly 20 years to develop! I call it—the Ghost Portrificationizer! It will allow us to turn the ghosts you've caught into paintings."

"That way, the ghosts can't hurt us," said Luigi. "That's brilliant!"

Gadd nodded. "Not only that, it works in reverse, too!"

_Works in reverse_, thought Luigi. _Something tells me that will come in handy later._

"How does it work?" asked Luigi.

"Simple," said Gadd. "Just plug that Poltergust 3000 into this slot over here and enjoy the ride."

So, Luigi inserted the Poltergust's nozzle into the aforementioned slot and immediately felt the vacuum's weight decrease as the ghosts he captured were pulled into the Portrificationizer. Then, he stepped back to watch the process.

Three drop-shaped forms were deposited into a tank, which began to rapidly churn. Then, they were rolled out onto picture frames and wheeled down a conveyor belt toward some sort of compress. Speaking of compresses, Luigi could use several cold compresses right now.

"The ghosts are invisible," Gadd was saying, "so we need to press them into visible forms."

The frames were now passed through an electric current before being inserted into a slot on the other side of the room.

"Then, they'll be beautiful ghost portraits," said Gadd.

He then got a closer look at Luigi.

"My word—they've really put you through the wringer. Here, let me get you some ice…"

A minute later, Luigi was seated in the living area, sighing in relief as Gadd applied ice packs to the worst of his bruises. The ice helped, but love was more potent than a mere cold compress.

_"It still kinda hurts," young Luigi would say after a bruise or a scratch or a scrape or whatever had been treated. And little Mario would smile at his baby bro and say, "I can fix that." He'd lean down and trail kisses along every injury Luigi sustained, and soon he'd forget about the pain. He didn't have to hurt, and he didn't have to worry, because Mario was there. Of course, Luigi would do the exact same for Mario's "boo-boos", and he'd take pride in knowing that he could soothe his brother's pain as effectively as Mario could soothe his._

_Even in adulthood, it still worked. Their—unique line of work had them taking a lot of poundings, but _that_ pain couldn't hold a candle to a brother's kiss. _

"These ghosts aren't going down without a fight," said Luigi. "I don't know what they want with Mario, but they're not about to let him go. When I was in the parlor, they taunted me about him." He breathed shakily. "Are the portrait ghosts in on this, too? Or are they being manipulated—or worse, _forced_ into doing the other ghosts' bidding?"

"I can't say for sure," said Gadd, "but some of these ghosts led peaceful lives. I know they wouldn't participate in this of their own free will."

"I'm curious about them now," said Luigi, wincing as he agitated a bruise. "What were their lives like? How did they die? Neville—did he always have his nose stuck in a book? Did that contribute to his death? He wasn't paying attention to anything else and got hit by a car or fell or…?"

"Neville _did_ love to read," said Gadd. "As for how he and the others died—I don't think you need those images in your head just yet."

"And Lydia—she was vain," said Luigi. "Always fussing over her hair and fawning over her reflection. I wonder if her vanity did her in, too. But their baby, Chauncey—he was difficult. First, he threw plush bears at me. Then, when I hit him with one of those bouncing balls, he grew really angry, shrunk me and somehow transported me to his crib for a knock-down, drag-out fight. Which begs the question—did Neville and Lydia ever discipline their son? Or did they spoil him rotten and let him run wild?"

"Well…" said Gadd. "The two of them are simply—making up for lost time. In life, they were deprived of the opportunity to raise him."

"_Dio_—he was—stillborn?"

Gadd nodded solemnly. "Reunited with their son in death, they seek to lavish him with all of the love and affection they can," he said. "So, it's understandable if they've been a bit lax in disciplining him." He removed the cold compresses. "Do you feel better?"

"Yeah," said Luigi.

"All righty," said Gadd. "I'll fix us some more lemonade."

"I could—use something a little stronger now," said Luigi. "Do you have any sweet wine?"

"In fact, I do," said Gadd.

He crossed the room to the refrigerator, where he extracted two bottles of Moscato. Then, he fetched a bottle opener and two wine glasses before setting everything on the low table.

"Neville, Lydia and their son are back in my gallery," said Gadd, popping the cork on one of the bottles and pouring the wine into the glasses. "Thanks for your help, Luigi."

Luigi accepted the glass offered to him. "Cheers," he said.

"Cheers," said Gadd.

The two men toasted and drank.

_So many times, Luigi would talk things out with Mario over a bottle of sweet wine, their music playing on low. Most often, they'd pair the wine with their favorite pasta, or at the very least some garlic bread, to prevent them from getting too tipsy. Nothing like a little comfort food to help sort out a misunderstanding and comb through the tangles of their brotherly bond…_

There was another dull, throbbing pain, but it wasn't physical—it was the pain deep inside. Luigi could think of no one else but Mario, lost and confused in a strange place, possibly hurt. Possibly—freaked out? No. Mario was the bravest person he knew—nothing freaked him out. Not even an overgrown turtle. Not even a disgruntled former circus ape (they eventually talked things out, but still).

But if what Gadd said was true, then Mario was a sitting duck without any assistance. Those ghosts—what could they be _doing_ to him right now?

Luigi knocked back the last of his wine, stood up and slid the Poltergust back on.

Gadd looked surprised. "You're going back?"

"Every moment I spend here sipping wine is another moment Mario spends at the ghosts' mercy," said Luigi. "I _have_ to go back."

Gadd nodded. "I believe in you," he said.

Luigi turned on his heel and walked out of the lab, Gadd waving after him. His respite was over.


	7. House of Boos

"Any updates?" asked Thad when Luigi walked into the foyer.

Luigi held up the pink key. "I had to fight a ghost baby to get this," he said.

A pink light briefly emitted from the heart etched on the door in front of him.

"But you still haven't found him?"

"Not yet," said Luigi, "but I'm not giving up. Oh, I found your friend Brad on the upstairs balcony. He's okay—just shaken up."

"Keep us updated—please," entreated Thad.

"Okay," said Luigi.

He unlocked the door with the pink key and ventured into the mansion's second area.

Luigi was now in a network of dark corridors, the hallways teeming with ghosts. There were so many doors, and he had no idea which ones were unlocked. He just had to play it by ear for now.

Humming a made-up tune to calm his nerves, Luigi crept down the hallways. Large ghosts dropped down from the ceiling to give him a fright, a couple of them tossing bombs and other projectiles, but Luigi would recover his nerves and swiftly capture them. These ceiling ghosts would respawn after a while, but at least it was good practice. He'd also suck up more ghost mice and ghost bats along the way.

In a bathroom, Luigi encountered white ghosts which attacked by grabbing him from behind and squeezing him. Twisting his body, he'd manage to escape their grasps before they dealt significant harm and defeat them the usual way. However, they were more difficult to handle than the first ghosts he'd battled.

When the skirmish was finished, Gadd called him.

"Looks like you've run into a bit of trouble there," he said.

"You think?" asked Luigi.

"There are some ghosts, like the ones you just captured, who'll try to get ahold of you—literally," cautioned Gadd.

"_Now_ you tell me," said Luigi.

"When that happens, you must do what you can to shake them off," Gadd told him. "It's the age-old struggle for survival, my boy! Don't lose heart!"

"I don't intend to," said Luigi. "Will that be all?"

"Yes—for now," said Gadd before hanging up.

Luigi wiped his brow, noticed a key perched on a high shelf and vacuumed it down.

"Let the exploration continue," he mused as he let himself out of the bathroom.

Passing one of the rooms, he heard someone playing the piano, and quite beautifully. Unfortunately, the key didn't unlock that door, so Luigi would have to investigate at a later time. Instead, he wound up accessing the ball room, where upbeat music played and small, familiar-shaped ghosts spun round and round.

"Shy Guys?" he wondered.

The Shy Guy ghosts noticed him and advanced, armed with pitchforks. Luigi dodged their attacks and vacuumed away their trademark white masks. And behind those masks were glowing yellow eyes. He couldn't see the rest of their faces, though—and maybe that was a good thing.

Anyway, Luigi stunned and began vacuuming the lot of them, most of them escaping, regrouping and jabbing at him with their pitchforks. It took about three and a half minutes to capture them all, and by then, shallow cuts peppered him. But there was no time to rest. The music turned ominous as a ghostly couple materialized on the dance floor. According to the Game Boy Horror, he was in the presence of the Floating Whirlindas, waltz champions.

Standing on one of the spinning checkerboard floors, all Luigi could do was wait as the Whirlindas appeared and disappeared. The very second they exposed their hearts, however, Luigi _whirled _on them, digging his heels into the ground and planting the small of his back against a nearby wall. But since there were two of them, he was more prone to being dragged all over the ballroom. He had to repeat the process of standing on the checkerboard floor and waiting for an opportunity to pounce three more times. But his efforts were rewarded with a blue chest containing another key.

This key unlocked the door on the other side of the ballroom, which opened to a dark storage room. The odor of dusty wood was thick in Luigi's nostrils, and he even sneezed several times. A pile of crates was in one corner of the room, but before he could inspect them, a blue ghost, and then a pink ghost, came out and attacked!

They were soon joined by two red grabbing ghosts, and then another pink ghost. Luigi darted into the center of the room and readied himself. He captured the blue ghost without difficulty, but one of the grabbing ghosts attacked him from behind with a tight hug, and while he was busy shaking himself free, the two pink ghosts dive-bombed him. Skillfully, Luigi maneuvered out of that tight spot and turned on those ghosts with a vengeance. However, he took some punches and some squeezing before finally clearing out the room.

Once the lights came back on, the wall opposite from the crates rolled backward, expanding the room.

"Wow," breathed Luigi.

After some quick exploring, he came upon a piece of paper plastered on the wall, warning, DO NOT PUSH!

"Push what?" asked Luigi, turning his vacuum on the paper.

The paper concealed a flashing red button, and despite what the paper said, Luigi was curious as to what that button would trigger.

"Maybe it'll sound an alarm, and Mario can escape in the confusion," he murmured. "Or maybe it'll send out a homing signal, and the police will pick it up."

Fat chance of that.

"Well—here I go," said Luigi, reaching out and pressing the button.

A trapdoor behind him opened, and distant giggling sounded, giggling which grew louder until a swarm of small, round white ghosts came surging out.

_Boos!_ Luigi thought, jumping back with a sharp curse. He and Mario first encountered these ghosts in 1990, when one of their adventures took them into a ghost house. The Boos would stalk after them, leering at them with their long tongues, only to blush and hide their faces when the Bros looked at them directly.

And now, the situation had taken a big left turn. Boos were the most dangerous spirits out there, and this mansion was located in the very woods where they resided. Coincidence? Absolutely not!

"Who's there?" they asked. "Who dares disturb our sleep?"

Luigi raised his Poltergust in defense. "Stay back!" he cried.

But then they all giggled again, surrounding him. "It's Luigi!" they chortled. "Look, guys! Luigi's finally here!"

_They were expecting me?! WTF?!_

"We're gonna do to you what we did to your brother—only worse," they threatened, causing Luigi's heart to plummet.

_Holy mother of God—am I already too late for him?_

A deeper, throaty cackle sounded, and a larger Boo emerged from the trapdoor, sporting sunken, violet eyes and a crown topped with a brilliant ruby. Their King.

The Boo King—King Boo—smirked down at Luigi. And then he paused, frowning.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" he shouted to his brethren.

The Boos hesitated.

"What's that on his back? Is that—E. Gadd's Poltergust 3000?" King Boo squinted as he stole a closer look at the ghost vacuum, and then he recoiled. "Holy [bleep]! It _is_ the Poltergust 3000! Everybody scram!"

All of the Boos frantically scattered from the room, leaving Luigi standing there, shaking and struggling to collect himself.

"Oh, my God," he gasped. "Oh, my God…"

His Game Boy Horror went off.

"Yes?"

"Luigi—are you okay?!"

"I'm f—fine." If Luigi could stop shaking, then it would be a miracle.

"That was them! Those were the ones who released all of the ghosts from the paintings in my gallery! I knew someone sinister must've put them up to this! Those fiends!"

"Mario and I have had prior experience with Boos," said Luigi. "To say that they're bad news is an understatement."

"They were laying low for a while—it turns out that they were hiding in the mansion all along," said Gadd. "Thanks for flushing them out, Luigi!"

"Don't mention it," Luigi said, a little dourly.

"You should probably come back to the lab for a sec," said Gadd.

"Good. I really need a drink right now," said Luigi.

He hung up and headed out of there as fast as his legs could take him.

…

Soon, Luigi was seated in the lab's living area, sipping on another glass of sweet wine.

"I think the Boos are responsible for Mario's disappearance," said Gadd.

"I think so, too," said Luigi. "The motive is obvious enough."

"Whatever their plans are for him—they're not gonna eat him, so that's a relief," said Gadd.

"They're probably gonna do worse than that," shuddered Luigi. "Before I try to find Mario, I'll have to get those Boos."

"Good plan," said Gadd. "Common theory holds that Boos grow in strength when they travel in numbers. They must've somehow combined their powers, too. And their power likely overwhelmed Mario."

Luigi closed his eyes in pain and horror.

"If you want to save him, then you must capture every Boo you see to weaken the group's strength," said Gadd. "As you know, however, Boos like to hide and then jump out to scare people. You've got your work cut out finding them! Fortunately, the Game Boy Horror has a secret function."

"A Boo detector?" asked Luigi.

"Bingo," grinned Gadd. "I call it—the Boo Radar! It'll flash red when something round like a Boo is hidden nearby. Use it to search everywhere."

"Wow, Professor—you've got everything covered, don't you?"

"That's the truth of it," said Gadd.

Luigi finished his glass of wine. "I've got some Boos to catch," he said.

"Don't tucker yourself out," warned Gadd.

_Yes, Mom_, thought Luigi, but he smiled at the professor before heading back into the mansion.

"You might wanna be careful," he said to Thad. "There are Boos out and about."

"But you'll catch them, right?" asked Thad.

"Count on it," promised Luigi, giving Thad a hug before trudging upstairs and into the parlor.

_Beep—beep—beep_. The Boo Radar went off, and Luigi moved about the room until the beeps quickened in pace and the light began flashing red. He was directed to a desk mounted by a lamp, and when he knocked on it, a Boo popped out of hiding.

"I'm BamBoo, if you please," said the Boo.

BamBoo tried to clear out, but Luigi was too fast for him. He switched on the vacuum and captured the Boo inside of ten seconds.

After catching BamBoo, Luigi sent the data to Gadd via the Game Boy Horror.

"It seems that the best way to uncover a Boo is to turn on all of the lights," mused Gadd. "All righty—I'll leave you to it."

Luigi hung up and went through the rooms he'd explored previously, using the trusty Boo Radar to locate the Boos, dodging the explosives they tossed at him and seeing past the plastic decoys with Boo faces drawn on them. When a Boo managed to flee into the next room, Luigi was always hot on their heels. They'd attack him by ramming into him full-force, but he was always back on his feet in no time.

After Luigi captured 6 Boos, Gadd suggested that he cool off in the washroom—so that was where he went.

There, Luigi found a third Toad, named Chad, huddled in the corner and in tears. After snagging a nearby key, the man in green went to comfort him.

"I dropped something really important into the toilet," wailed Chad. "I didn't mean to!"

Luigi smiled. "Don't worry about it," he said.

Chad's face brightened. "You're right," he said. "No sense in crying over spilt milk! I suppose I'll just flush that old worry away. Yup, I'll just let it swirl down into the depths and let happiness refill my life!"

"Are you gonna be okay in here?" asked Luigi.

"I'll—do my best," Chad replied. "I'll feel much better if you check in periodically, though."

"Okeydokey," said Luigi. "Take care."

"You, too," said Chad.

With that, Luigi splashed some cool water onto his face, exited the washroom and set off once again down the darkened corridors.

Those Boos wouldn't be safe from him for long…


	8. Down a Dark Hall

The next room he found himself in was decorated with vibrantly-colored silks and patterns of the moon and stars. There was a crystal ball in the middle, which lit up when he shone his flashlight upon it. This had to be the fortune-teller's room.

However, his attention was arrested by an adjoining door, which opened into a mirror room. Seconds after Luigi stepped inside, those thorns appeared, locking him in.

True to its name, the mirror room had one huge mirror on one of the walls—which turned out to be a saving grace, because it allowed him to see the grabbing ghosts ganging up on him. It was probably a magic mirror or something. No time to dwell on that now, however.

Luigi spun around and stunned one of the ghosts, quickly capturing him. His reaction time was quickly improving, but such was the power of love. Not romantic love, but familial love between two brothers. That kind of love was the strongest, really. Luigi would do anything to see his brother's wonderful face again, to hold him in his arms and make everything all right. And as he struggled against those grabbing ghosts, he breathed out four words, like an incantation of sorts—_Do it for him._

And he would.

After vacuuming the last grabbing ghost, the lights came on, and the Boo Radar went off. Luigi followed the signal to one of the drawers before chasing and capturing the Boo who identified himself as Kung Boo. Then, he sent the data along to Gadd.

There was also a chest, which Luigi opened to reveal a red medallion encircled by a fiery aura.

"Wha…?" murmured Luigi as he studied the medallion.

The Game Boy Horror chimed, and he answered it.

"What have you found there, Luigi?" asked Gadd. "Let's take a look at that."

Luigi held up the medallion for Gadd to see.

"Oh, my—it's a Fire Elemental Medal!" cried Gadd. "Now you can use the Fire Element!"

"So—this medallion kinda works like a Fire Flower," said Luigi.

"Exactly," said Gadd. "With that, you can catch Fire Elemental Ghosts—ghosts born out of the fire, if you will. If you approach a flame, they'll be surprised by your presence and leap out into the air. Then, you vacuum them up right away! After that, you can use your blowing function to expel fire. You can melt ice, light candles, and do all kinds of stuff."

"I could use an extra weapon in my arsenal," said Luigi.

"There's a meter on the vacuum that will help you keep an eye on how much element you have left," Gadd went on. "You may also have to use the Fire Element to defeat some ghosts."

"I'll keep that in mind," said Luigi.

He hung up and noticed a heat lamp nearby. When he approached it, a small, glowing ghost emerged from it, and Luigi quickly sucked it up. He captured more Fire Elemental Ghosts until his meter was full, and then tested the Poltergust's new ability by lighting the candles on either side of the mirror. When he was finished, the thorns on the door disappeared, and he could head back to the fortune teller's room.

There were four candles in each of the room's corners, and lighting them all yielded a key. Luigi smiled—he loved having fire on his side! Hopefully, he could discover more medallions which would enable him to utilize other elements.

Now, he was once again walking down a dark hall, humming to himself and dealing with the ceiling ghosts and annoying bats and mice. But he'd also brought his iPod with him, and when humming didn't quite do the trick, he'd put in one earbud (he needed to keep one ear open) and pick a random playlist to listen to. Nothing like some timeless 80s hits to keep him sane in here…

Luigi came upon a floating candelabra he'd seen earlier and blew a stream of fire at it. He jumped back when he saw a ghost materialize.

"Fire!" screamed the ghost, who the Game Boy Horror named Shivers. "Run away! RUN AWAY!"

Luigi watched Shivers freak out a bit before unlocking the door to the laundry room. Instantly, he was attacked by all varieties of ghosts. He was breaking a sweat by the time he got them all, and then appeared Shivers, still having conniptions over fire. Luigi chased him into the next room, which was the butler's room.

When Shivers sat down, stupidly placing the candelabra beneath him, Luigi saw his heart and let the Poltergust rip. He was able to maintain better control this time around, plus there were many sturdy surfaces to brace his body against, so with some difficulty, he captured Shivers in one go. As always, he was rewarded with a key, plus a Boo to fight.

After scanning a hole with the Game Boy Horror, Luigi was sucked into a hidden room filled with treasure chests. Half of the chests contained white ghosts which he had to stun with fire, and the other half contained actual treasure. After opening all of the chests and defeating the ghosts, another chest stuffed with gold and gemstones appeared, and then Luigi captured another Boo.

"Luigi, you are on _fire_!" laughed Gadd when he checked in on the plumber.

"Literally or figuratively?" quipped Luigi, giving the Poltergust's nozzle a quick twirl.

"You know what I mean," said Gadd. "OK—I won't keep you any longer. Kick some more ghost butt out there!"

Chuckling, Luigi hung up.

He returned to the laundry room and did battle with more ghosts, which earned him another chest filled with treasure. But then he found something more valuable than treasure—or even a key.

_Mario's iconic red cap was in the washing machine!_

Luigi pressed the headgear to his nose and inhaled the scent of detergent and fabric softener. Apparently, it had been recently washed. Lovingly, he traced the "M" embroidered on the front of the cap before holding it to his chest, right next to his heart.

_He's here somewhere—I can feel it! And he left behind some clues, as well. That's my bro…_

He brought Mario's cap to his lips and tenderly kissed it, thanking God or whatever deity was listening at the moment.

_You're here, Mario—and so am I. Hang in there, Big Bro…_

Luigi pocketed the cap and returned to the fortune teller's room, where he shone his flashlight on the crystal ball, illuminating it in a brilliant glow.

A ghost appeared in the fortune-teller's tent, gazing curiously at Luigi.

"Hm? What is this object you have here?" asked the ghost. "Show it, please, to Madame Clairvoya."

Madame Clairvoya—so that was the ghost's name. Luigi decided to nickname her Madame C for short.

_Should I trust a ghost, though?_ Luigi thought, looking into her eyes. She seemed friendly enough, unlike most of the ghosts he'd run across so far. Taking his chances, he gave her Mario's cap.

"Mario's hat," said Madame C. "Why, it's so clean, as if—SOMEONE JUST WASHED IT!"

"Okay, chill," said Luigi.

"Apologies," said Madame C. "Sometimes, I like to add a little drama, you know. Wait—did I just say Mario? Could it be—THAT Mario?"

"Who else could it be—Mario Lopez?" asked Luigi. "Mario Segale?"

"Who's Mario Segale?" asked Madame C.

Luigi shrugged. "My bro—he's here, isn't he? I'm trying to find him, and he may be in trouble."

"Ahhh—I see now," said Madame C. "Well, I see everything, so I saw it before, but now I REALLY see it. So you're the famous Mario's brother, and you've come to this place to look for him—truly, you're a good little brother!"

Luigi nodded. "I'd die for him."

"I'm moved by your selflessness," said Madame C. "Tell you what—maybe I can help you track down your brother—point you in the right direction. My powers have never failed yet."

"My—you're a friendly ghost," said Luigi. "It's hard to come by friendly ghosts nowadays."

Madame C smiled and began to examine Mario's cap, tracing along the fabric.

"I'm—I'm getting something," she said finally.

Luigi leaned forward.

"I see that your Mario lives," Madame C went on. "Well, he isn't in the spirit world—but one can't say he's alive. Now, where is he? Where is he now? Aw, d—mit. The spirits fall silent. This is all I can tell you for now. Bring to me another clue, and I will show your brother to you. This clue no longer speaks to us."

"You'd—you'd really help me?" asked Luigi.

"I'm a woman of my word," said Madame C.

"And I'm a man of _my_ word," said Luigi. "Thanks, Madame C."

He left the fortune teller's room and then sagged against the door. Madame C had assured him that Mario wasn't dead, but that was cold comfort, seeing that there were many things worse than death. And Boos were far from the merciful type.

_We'll do to you what we did to your brother—only worse!_

"Over my dead body," Luigi growled, straightening up. "I'll capture every last f—ing Boo in this place before I let them harm Mario."


	9. Melody of Doubt, Melody of Hope

There is was again—the sound of a piano. Luigi paused and pressed his ear against the door. Whoever was playing that piano was very good at it, a professional, even. The man in green had taken some piano lessons when he was young, and while he'd taken to the lessons like a fish to water, he had no desire to go pro. He was a bit rusty, anyhow.

A sigh slid from Luigi's lips, the piano music relaxing him. But he couldn't relax for long. Looking down at the key in his hand, he was pleasantly surprised to see that it corresponded to this very door. So, he unlocked it and stepped inside.

The room was a conservatory, and there were so many instruments lined up against the walls. It reminded Luigi of his schools' music rooms, especially the one in his high school. There was a harp, a saxophone, drums, a xylophone, a bass fiddle and an acoustic guitar. Far off to the side sat the grand piano, which had suddenly stopped playing when Luigi arrived. But there was nobody seated at the bench. Either the piano was playing itself, or…

Luigi strolled over to the xylophone. More often than not, his music teacher would assign him that instrument, and in his spare time, he'd taught himself to play a few songs. As he picked up the xylophone batons, one particular song came to his mind.

Positioning the batons over the xylophone bars, Luigi began to hammer out the opening riff to Toto's "Africa". How could he not forget that song? It came out during one of the most important years of his adult life.

_His first job was as a mechanic, and it was enjoyable but exhausting. One evening in 1983, he'd just settled down in front of his TV, relaxing after a long day, when he saw the news bulletin. There was a mysterious clog in the city's sewage system, the municipal officials throwing the demand for plumbers wide open. Something had clicked inside of Luigi's head upon viewing that report, and as soon as they cut to a commercial break, he gave his brother a call._

_ "Did you see it?" he asked. "Did you see the news story?"_

_ "Yeah."_

_ "Mario—how would you like us to go into business together and take on that nasty clog?"_

_ "Well—there's no risk of falling to my death," Mario had said after mulling it over. "I didn't really see myself becoming a plumber, but—plans change."_

_ "You're right about that," said Luigi._

_ The next morning, they filled out the applications to join the plumbing crew of a man named Sal, and they were approved four days later._

_ Down they'd ventured into the bowels of their city, stunned at the party of creepy-crawlies they'd come upon. They named the turtles Shellcreepers, the flies Fighterflies and the crabs Sidesteppers. Working as a team, they sent the creepy-crawlies packing by punching the platforms they were standing on, knocking the pests onto their backs, and then kicking them away. When they were finished, all Sal could do was just gawk._

_ "Who are you guys?" he asked._

_ "We're the Mario Bros!" the two of them replied._

_ "Well, Mario Bros—you're hired!" grinned Sal._

_ Thus started one adventure which led to another two years later…_

Luigi was jolted out of his flashback when he noticed the xylophone still playing "Africa"—and he wasn't even striking it with the batons! What was up with that? Were these instruments magical? Or was an unseen ghost pulling the strings?

He set down the batons and crossed over to the harp, plucking a few strings. And then, the harp began playing along with the xylophone. The same thing happened when he touched the rest of the instruments in the conservatory.

And Luigi laughed.

This music reminded him of an age where his life with Mario truly began, of Friday nights at the arcade with his friends, of dancing all night in his apartment with his stereo on full blast, of playing games on his NES and seeing ads for roller skates and Aqua Net, of watching movies like _Flashdance _and _Back to the Future_ at his favorite theater. Standing here in an alien place, Luigi felt temporarily soothed by the memories of an unforgettable time. "Africa" coming on over the radio Sal had blasting above, and the two brothers singing along as they worked, making the days of plodding around in stuff they didn't want to think about more bearable. That song was only one of the things Luigi would always remember about that year—the year he and Mario became plumbers, their beginnings as a dream team.

He heard the grand piano again, in perfect harmony with the other instruments. Only this time, someone was sitting at the bench—a ghost.

She had platinum blond hair and wore a deep red dress, swaying to the beat as she tickled the ivories. Her eyes were closed, a huge smile on her lips, the look of someone who was good at their craft and who thoroughly enjoyed it. Luigi stood there, listening to one of his favorite songs and watching her play.

"H-hello?" he said finally.

"Hello," the ghost joyfully greeted, still playing the piano. "My name's Melody. Melody Pianissima. People call me the spectral beauty of the ivory keys."

"Nice to meet you, Melody," said Luigi.

"Nice to meet you, too," replied Melody, "and what a stirring performance! I haven't been so charmed by a piece for ages!"

"Thanks, I guess," blushed Luigi.

"You must have a delicate ear for music. Would you like to listen to my piano sonata?"

"Sure," said Luigi.

"Very well," said Melody. "Here I go…"

Luigi made himself comfortable and listened as Melody began to play. And her musical piece evoked various images in his mind—images of swimming underwater with Cheep Cheeps and Bloopers, bubbles bursting from his nose but somehow never running out of oxygen. After trekking through hot deserts, it was so refreshing to plunge into the deep blue unexplored world beneath the waves, his hair lifting and the coolness teasing at the nape of his neck. He closed his eyes and surrendered himself to the music. Melody had him completely under her spell, and they both knew it.

_Why does everything in this place have me thinking of Mario? _Something_ here obviously wants us to reunite. Melody's probably fighting back against the Boos' strong-arming. At least, I _hope_ she is…_

The conservatory fell silent. Luigi opened his eyes.

"That—was—beautiful," he said.

"I consider that my magnum opus," said Melody. "A common opinion of my work is that it has the power to conjure provocative images in my listeners' heads. So, tell me—what images did that sonata conjure in _your_ mind?"

Luigi smiled. "Images of being underwater, swimming the ocean alongside my bro and mingling with red and purple Cheep-Cheeps and Bloopers. I also think you took cues from Saint-Saens and his piece, 'Aquarium'."

Melody beamed. "Exactly right! You got it!" she cheered. "I did, in fact, model off of Saint-Saens a little bit. Now, I can rest easy, knowing that my practicing and laboring wasn't in vain."

"I'm a bit of a classical music buff myself," confessed Luigi.

"Do you—also play piano?" asked Melody.

"Yes—but not as well as you," replied Luigi.

"Oh, stop it," Melody said, a little bashfully. "I guess I don't have to hold back with you."

"Wh—what do you mean?" asked Luigi.

A mischievous look crossed Melody's face. "It's time for a battle with my lovely music sheets!" she announced, beginning to play a dark tune on the piano.

Silently, Luigi cursed himself for letting his guard down and readied the Poltergust as numerous music sheets levitated into the air and began to swarm him. The sheets' edges would scratch him, but they were mere papercuts and didn't slow him at all. It took between ten and fifteen seconds for him to vacuum up the attacking music sheets, whereupon Melody sighed deeply and slumped over on the bench, exposing her heart. A bit reluctantly, Luigi stunned her and began vacuuming her up, too.

"Ah, Melody—why'd you have to do me over like that?" he asked when he was done. "I was beginning to like you…"

The Boo Radar got his attention, and he quickly uncovered and captured the hidden Boo, bringing the total of caught Boos to eleven.

Another blue chest appeared, containing yet another key. Slipping the key into his pocket, Luigi plunked himself onto the bench, faced the grand piano and ran his fingers over the keys.

And then it all came back to him.

Sitting in the room, unraveling the mysteries of those musical symbols under his teacher's watchful and encouraging eye. His teacher had encouraged him to try out at a recital, but he'd swiftly nixed the idea—his shyness was too great. He looked back on it now and considered it an opportunity he'd let slip through his fingers. But maybe—just maybe—this conservatory would be the recital that would've been.

Luigi stretched his gloved fingers over the keys and began to play, the notes and chords coming naturally to him. His emotions flowed through his nerves and out of his pores and onto those ebony and ivory keys, manifesting in a very stormy tune, stormier than the one Melody played when she sent those music sheets after him. His fingers danced along the keys, his mind conjuring his own sonata, composed of every emotion he was presently feeling.

The stormy melody echoed the storm inside him, the storm of knowing that Mario was in danger but not knowing where he was, the storm of being surrounded by ghosts—the very beings that could sometimes make his hair stand on end, the storm of realizing that the Boos were behind this madness for reasons unknown. The storm of—being doubtful.

Yes. This was a melody of doubt.

Could he really make it through this? He was a self-confessed phasmophobe. He was always skittish. He was shy, awkward. He wasn't even sure if he was hero material. Mario was the gutsier of the two, always dashing headlong into adventure. He was a romantic at heart, easily wooing Peach while Luigi became a blushing mess regarding woman. Yes, he had a woman of his own, a woman named Daisy, but it took two years for him to finally confess how he felt. Waiting had turned out to be the right decision, but still—

There was nothing more Luigi wanted than to prove himself as someone who could hold their own with the big boys as much as Mario, but at the same time, he didn't really know if he could. Maybe it was for the best that Mario got all of the attention, because Luigi was doubtful if he even deserved it. His passion in the melody grew at this thought, and tears began trailing down his face as he continued to play.

Then came another thought. The Mario Bros had a healthy relationship notwithstanding, but this fame inequality really got under Luigi's skin. The Toads fumbled over his name before giving up and calling him "Green Mario" or "Mario's little brother", and that chafed—no, it _stung_. Internally, he was bursting with frustration, and were it not for the various sporting events and other physical activities he enjoyed engaging in, if not for the relatively new Smash tournaments, then he would've gone crazy a long time ago. The melody of doubt turned stormier and fiercer to mirror his anger at this situation. He was stuck in Mario's shadow and wanted to be so much more—yet he didn't even know if he could. And through music, the intense feelings he couldn't translate into words, the feelings he dared not speak, began to manifest.

Alone in a haunted mansion with no clue as to Mario's whereabouts, and all he had was a vacuum and a flashlight to fend them off. Just _how_ long could he last under these circumstances?

Gradually, the melody began to lighten, as if it was giving him a pep talk. Why was he thinking so negatively? Why was he wallowing in self-pity?

Would that help Mario? _No._

He might be a phasmophobe, and he might be shy and awkward, but he could kick [bleep] with the best of them. Mario jumped at adventure, but Luigi was more cautious—and wasn't cautiousness a good thing?

Did it really matter that he was in Mario's shadow? Sometimes it did, but most of the time, it didn't. He was always happy to help his bro. Behind every great hero was a great sidekick. And no doubt Mario would feel better going into a dangerous situation knowing that his little brother was there to help him.

Stuck in this mansion, Mario was probably thinking about Luigi right now and visualizing his face, preventing him from falling into despair.

Pouring everything into the piano keys, Luigi also began to pull himself back from that gaping pit, thoughts of Mario extinguishing his doubts.

The melody was even lighter—upbeat, even, as Luigi started concentrating on what he _did_ have, rather than on what he didn't. He had a vacuum cleaner, but it was no ordinary vacuum cleaner—it had the power to tame a bratty ghost baby, and it was a Boo's worst nightmare. And his flashlight guided him forward in the dark and helped him see that what lay ahead wasn't so bad. There was a fire alighting inside of him, a fire allowing him to push through the doubt and dread and fear, a fire which became imbued in the tune he was playing.

He _would_ get through this.

He _would_ get rid of every Boo in this mansion—including their King.

He _would_ defeat every ghost standing in his way.

He _would _rescue Mario and hold him tight, look into his eyes, and tell him that he was here and everything was _okay_.

He _would_ win. He _would_ triumph.

Luigi wasn't exactly known for his bravery, but he was known for his loyalty and for his devotion.

Courage wasn't the absence of fear—it was resistance to it.

Luigi described himself as fearful, but he was capable of fighting fear—with love.

He had to give himself _some_ credit; he was Mario's younger and overshadowed brother, but he was also _more_.

And knowing that, he could cut himself a little slack.

There was a flash of lightning and a crash of thunder, but it hardly fazed Luigi as he sat at that grand piano, playing a new melody.

A comforting melody.

No longer a melody of doubt, but a melody of hope.


	10. Gluttons, Boos and Rattling Bones

**Watch out for a cliffhanger at the end!**

Music was therapy for the soul, and such was the case here in this mansion in the middle of these eerie woods. After playing a composition of his own making on the grand piano, all of the doubts had been washed away, and only hope remained. His fingers ached a little bit, and he was a tad stiff from sitting on that bench, but overall, he felt better. As the last note faded away, Luigi felt ready to continue. He stood, stretched and resumed his self-imposed mission.

First, however, he made another stop at the washroom to splash some more water on his face.

"Was that you playing the piano just now?" queried Chad.

"Yes, it was," said Luigi, drying himself off.

"Hm. I didn't know you could play piano."

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me," Luigi said pointedly, and off he went.

The key he'd earned after the battle with Melody unlocked the door to the dining room. As soon as he entered, the smell of freshly-prepared food filled his nostrils.

_Great. Now I'm hungry._

Banana peels were strewn on the floor, which Luigi vacuumed up. He also had to deal with a ghost hiding in one of the cabinets. But when he used his fire element to light the candles on the table, he was awarded with a revolting sight—a heavyset ghost stuffing his face with food.

Making a face, Luigi scanned the ghost with his Game Boy Horror, which identified him as Mr. Luggs. And Mr. Luggs was surely lacking in table manners, shoveling handfuls of food into his mouth. Had the guy ever heard of _silverware_?

"I think you've had enough to eat," Luigi muttered as he turned his vacuum on the heaping pile of food.

However, he'd only vacuumed about half of it when he saw two ghostly waiters approach, bearing more food. Luigi whirled and stunned the first waiter he saw, vacuuming him up with relative ease. The second waiter managed to refill Mr. Luggs's plate, but Luigi stunned and captured him, too.

Luigi shook his head and resumed vacuuming up the food on the plate. Gluttony was another one of the seven deadly sins, and he considered it worse than vanity. He had some clue regarding how Mr. Luggs met his end…

The plate was now empty. Mr. Luggs looked down at it in confusion, and then at Luigi. His eyes narrowed as he appeared to connect the dots.

"You!" he cried. "You're gonna pay for that!"

Rising from his seat, Mr. Luggs began shooting large fireballs at Luigi, who fluidly flipped and cartwheeled over them. This continued for about two minutes (though it felt like twenty), and then the gluttonous ghost slumped over, exhausted. Seeing his chance, Luigi stunned his opponent and began vacuuming him up. Hopefully, he wouldn't take up too much room in the Poltergust.

Mr. Luggs didn't make it easy, but the tenacious Luigi eventually trapped his fat [bleep] into the Poltergust, even if it left him slightly winded. The ghost had broken free four times, shooting fireballs until he tired himself out, after which the cycle began again. Some of the fireballs had connected, but thanks to Luigi's agility, the burns weren't serious. They stung, but they were first-degree at worst.

But there was no time to recover, as the Game Boy Horror detected a Boo hiding around. Using the vacuum, Luigi uncovered said Boo from the dining room table and swiftly captured him. Everything netted him a treasure chest stuffed with gems, coins, gold bars and a few dollar bills.

Luigi's gut then told him to stop by some of the rooms he'd explored earlier. So, he did, encountering and capturing Boo after Boo. One of them even called himself Game Boo! Ah, these Boos—they were dangerous but very good with puns.

After that, Luigi headed over to the kitchen, where he had to dodge or vacuum pots and pans being flung at him. Plus, the door in the back was burning. How odd.

It was a hassle to vacuum up the attacking pots and pans, and he took some hits to his stomach and side before he got them all. Then, there were ghosts hiding in the oven, in the freezer and under the sink, a few of which he had to subdue with the fire element. He ended up with fresh bruises for his trouble, but luckily, there was lots of ice in the freezer, and a few chunks wrapped in a nearby cloth helped dull the pain.

After he vacuumed up a Boo, he opened a blue chest, which yielded a dark blue medallion. It _had_ to be another one of those Elemental Medals. But which element would this one control?

He got his answer when Gadd called him.

"What have you stumbled across there?" asked Gadd.

Luigi held up the medallion.

Gadd's eyes widened. "This time, you've got a Water Elemental Medal! Now you can use the Water Element!"

Luigi stole a glance at the fiery door.

"My research shows that these particular Elemental Ghosts leave their watery dwellings whenever you approach," said Gadd. "You know the drill—vacuum them up! And keep in mind that there are some ghosts who can be defeated only with water. Water, as you recall, also has purifying properties, so use it well."

"Okeydokey," said Luigi.

"Don't get too caught up with your new squirt gun," cautioned Gadd before hanging up.

After absorbing a few Water Elemental Ghosts, Luigi doused the fiery wall obstructing his way and opened the door to the boneyard. He watered a nearby seedling and watched it sprout into a baby plant, making a mental note to tend to it periodically.

When Luigi approached a doghouse, a ghost dog named Spooky popped out and started to chase him, barking wildly and snapping his jaws at him. The plumber scanned the boneyard for a means of distracting the mutt to expose his heart, but he found nothing.

Until…

"Would you _please_ keep that dog quiet?!" snapped a skeleton-like ghost which suddenly appeared in the boneyard.

Well, dogs loved gnawing on bones, so—

The bony ghost went on the attack, but Luigi was too fast, stunning and sucking him up. One of the bones landed in the dirt, and Spooky pranced over, licking it happily.

So absorbed was Spooky in the bone that he didn't see Luigi until he was already in the Poltergust's suction.

Luigi felt a little bad as he captured Spooky, especially when he heard the pooch whimper. He was a bit of a dog lover, but he tended to favor tiny puppies—they were so cute, not to mention less of a hassle. Besides, Spooky was too scary-looking for his taste. Maybe if he came across a ghost puppy, however…

He snapped himself out of his thoughts when he saw what appeared to be a magical portal at the entrance of Spooky's doghouse. Since he obviously couldn't fit into the doghouse, he scanned the portal with his Game Boy Horror and felt himself being sucked in.

And he landed in a graveyard. Oh, joy.

Luigi moved forward as silently as he dared, except for his humming, which grew a bit tremulous as he approached the rows of headstones. Various names were etched into each stone, and Luigi sighed when he noticed that some of the deceased didn't live long. Perhaps that was why their ghosts were roaming about, restless—they died before fulfilling their purposes. And the Boos must've found out and used that as an excuse to cruelly exploit them. Luigi murmured a prayer as he continued his cautious trek.

One headstone in particular grabbed his attention and wouldn't let go. Unlike the other headstones, it was encircled by a golden aura. As Luigi stepped closer, he saw that today's date was listed as the date of death. And the date of birth—that was the same day Mario was born!

Oh, no.

No—

Madame C had told him that Mario was still alive. Had she lied?

This _couldn't_ be real.

But he saw the name, neatly etched in big block letters: MARIO "JUMPMAN" MARIO. BELOVED BROTHER AND PROTECTOR.

Oh, God—

Ohgodohgodohgodohgod—

Luigi fell to his knees and screamed.


	11. Dirge of Dread

He knelt there on the cold earth before that gravestone, his whole body shuddering and heaving with sobs as screams tore from his lungs. He prayed to someone, anyone, that this wasn't true. He couldn't have been too late. They couldn't have—

"D—mit, Mario, I'm sorry!" he cried, his face awash in tears and slimy snot as he reached out with a trembling hand to touch the headstone. It was smooth and ridged beneath his fingertips, and it sent a frigid feeling traveling up his nerves.

He froze. More writing was appearing on the headstone.

_Would you like to hear how he died?_

"No…Don't torment me with that. Please…"

_He begged for his life, Luigi. He begged for his life, for your life—and for the life of his lovely Peach._

"No—she's off limits, do you hear me?!"

_You could've saved him. Why didn't you do more?_

"Do more?! I was doing all that I could!"

_Guess it wasn't enough. _

"Why—what have we ever done to you?"

_Why not? :D_

_And the award for the World's Worst Brother goes to—you. _

_ There's only one thing you can do now. It's quite simple, really… _

Could they be actually suggesting…?

"Wait…wait," muttered Luigi, taking deep breaths. Maybe—this wasn't real after all.

Boos were infamous for casting illusions to disorient their victims. That's what made them so powerful and dangerous. They were capable of physically attacking people, but they enjoyed mental and psychological attacks more than anything, making no effort to hide their sadistic glee in doing so.

Presently, they were dangling the bait in front of Luigi, trying to push him into—no. He wouldn't. He wouldn't be so quick to despair, and he wouldn't commit a mortal sin on their account. He had to break out of this web before they fully ensnared him.

"I don't believe you," he said.

_?_

"I don't believe you," he repeated, more firmly. "Mario's still alive. I can feel it. This isn't real. None of this is real."

Luigi wiped his tears and stood. "Mario would never beg for his life. Especially from _you_," he said. "He's stronger than that. He's braver than that. He's—he's the bravest man I know, and you'll _never_ break him."

_Oh, we'll see._

"I don't know what you want. I don't care how powerful you are. Because I've recently acquired a very particular set of skills—skills that will make me a Boo's worst nightmare. If you let Mario go now, then that'll be the end of it. I won't look for you, and I won't pursue you. But if you don't—then I _will_ look for you. I _will_ find you. And I will send you into my Poltergust with the others."

_Good luck._

Slowly, the headstone faded away, confirming Luigi's suspicions. They wanted to break him down and make him succumb to his fears, but he wouldn't. He couldn't. Not now.

"Well, _finally_, the sob fest is over!" said a skeleton ghost as he and a few more skeleton ghosts popped out from behind the tombstones. "We were only waiting here because it's beneath us to attack a grieving man! Let's get him, gents!"

But Luigi, steaming from the nasty trick the Boos just pulled, wasn't about to deal with their crap. He brandished the Poltergust and turned it on the first skeleton ghost he saw, sucking him in as the ghost's buddies descended on him. Luigi rolled aside to avoid being boxed in and continued to stun and vacuum, sometimes reeling in three at a time. He was hot all over when he finished, jaw clenched in anger. Any other ghost who f—ed with him tonight was in for a world of pain!

However, he breathed deeply until he'd brought his temper under control. Getting upset and hysterical wouldn't do him any favors here. He just had to be on the lookout for more of these illusions.

He walked up to a gravestone which was bigger than the others and glowing purple. The word ELH was written on it, and nothing else. Luigi squinted. ELH? What was _that_ supposed to mean?

Lightning struck the ground in front of the headstone, and from it arose a purple, blob-like—thing, with yellow eyes, a gaping mouth and long, scythe-like arms. Luigi let out a scream as the—thing—leaned toward him and enveloped him in its mouth.

Luigi now found himself in a circular arena surrounded by violet flames. He gasped as the purple thing leaped down in front of him, joined by shadowy clones.

Oh. So _this_ was Elh.

Elh and his shadowy clones slithered toward Luigi, reaching out to grab him. The plumber dove out of their reach and trained the Poltergust on one of the shadows. The Elh shadow turned into a dark ball and attached itself to the nozzle, and then Luigi knew what he was going to do. He faced Elh and let the captured shadow fly, causing it to stick to the purple ghost. Immediately, Luigi stunned Elh and began vacuuming him up, dodging the other Elh shadows as his opponent dragged him this way and that.

Violently, Elh broke free, sending Luigi flipping forward. Lightning bolts struck all over the arena, generating more Elh shadows. These Elh shadows began slashing at Luigi with their scythe-arms, while several more tried to smother him in a bear hug. But he sucked up the nearest Elh shadow and launched it at Elh, sucking away until the ghost broke free a second time.

One Elh shadow grabbed him, boring into him with its eyes, and a suffocating feeling of dread nearly overcame him. Thinking quickly, Luigi eye-poked the Elh shadow and kicked himself free, pulling as much air into his lungs as he could. Where exactly did Elh and his shadows come from, and why were they making him feel such negativity? These negative feelings seemed to emanate from their bodies like a stench, and whenever they closed in on Luigi, they caused those bothersome doubts to come back with a vengeance, like a thick, choking smoke.

_Stop. Don't give in. That's what they want. You have to keep fighting._

Keeping his breaths measured, Luigi shook off the clinging dread and sucked up a particularly large Elh shadow. He knew this one would hold Elh for a long while. As Elh struggled to free himself from his shadow, Luigi charged forward and once again caught him in the suction, wrestling and pulling as the remaining Elh shadows swiped at him.

And on and on it went. Elh breaking free, the shadows closing in and showering him with their gloom. Scythe-arms swiping and drawing blood. The shadows becoming a weapon against their master so Luigi could put this monstrosity away for good.

Luigi didn't know how long it took for him to finally defeat Elh, but it felt like an eternity. He stood there, small tremors running up and down his body, eyes dilated, physically and emotionally spent. He'd been slashed by Elh and his shadows, grabbed, squeezed, nearly smothered and even electrocuted once. And before that, he'd been tricked into thinking he'd failed Mario. As far as nights went, he was giving this one a "F".

He closed his eyes and let out a very shaky breath. When he opened them, he was back in the graveyard, standing in front of a gold chest, which he opened to reveal a green key. Overjoyed, Luigi hopped into the air and struck a cool pose.

His Game Boy Horror rang.

"Luigi—can you hear me?" asked Gadd.

"Yeah," Luigi said breathily.

"I lost your signal when that lightning struck," said Gadd, "but you made it out alive, and that's all that matters!"

_Professor—you only know half of the story._

"That was some battle you had there," Gadd went on as he assessed Luigi's injuries. "Why don't you come on back to the lab?"

"Sure," said Luigi. He deserved a rest after what he experienced in the graveyard.

"See you soon," said Gadd before hanging up.

Luigi took one last look at the graveyard before turning on his heel and walking off.

Thad was waiting for him in the foyer. "Still nothing?" he asked.

Luigi shook his head, choosing not to tell the Toad about the Boos' illusion.

"Did you meet up with my friend, Brad, in the washroom?" asked Thad.

"I did," said Luigi. "He's okay now."

"Great," said Thad. "That's great."

"I'm gonna find Mario, and I'm gonna bring him home," Luigi said, enfolding Thad's hand in his. "Don't you worry."

And then he walked out of that mansion and toward Gadd's lab, the Poltergust 3000 and a host of other things weighing on his back.


	12. Recovery

"You wanna talk about it?" Gadd asked.

"No, thank you." Off of the Professor's look, Luigi amended, "Maybe later."

"Looks like you've caught a lot of ghosts," said Gadd. "Let's put them through the Portrificationizer, shall we?"

Luigi emptied the Poltergust and then flopped onto the sofa as the Portrificationizer did its work. When he saw the Elh portrait, he shivered. He hoped never to encounter someone like _that_ again.

Next, Gadd fussed over Luigi's wounds. In addition to the bruises and mild papercuts, there were slashes to his abdomen and side from his fight with Elh, plus mild burns from the scrap with Mr. Luggs and the lightning strikes. But Luigi wanted a shower more than anything, so once Gadd finished patching him up, that was where he went.

He stood, hands pressed against the tiled wall, as cool water poured over his body, rinsing the stink and that nagging dread from him. Taking care to avoid his more serious injuries, he took a soapy shower pouf and washed everything away, everything that had happened to him from the first moment he set foot in that mansion, washing the way the image of that headstone, even it if was just an illusion. He couldn't stop the hot tears from falling, though, mixing with the shower water as he cried silently.

_He can't die in there,_ he thought, _because if he does, then I'll feel like that's on me. I don't need that on my conscience._

_ Why didn't I suspect anything? It's not everyday that someone _wins_ a mansion in a contest. I should've smelled a rat, but I didn't. Because I was stuck in my own little world—_

He choked back a sob, turned the water temperature to as cold as he could bear and rinsed off the soap and the racing thoughts right along with it. He'd gotten himself and Mario into this situation, and now he was gonna get them out. When he stepped out of the shower, dried himself off and slipped into some clean clothes, he felt like a new plumber.

Gadd was waiting for him with some snacks and more sweet wine.

"Now, can you _please_ tell me what's plaguing you?" asked the professor once he'd filled Luigi's glass. "Trust me, it'll help you feel better."

Luigi sighed. "Might as well, because you'll find out eventually," he said. "The Boos—they may look cute, but on the inside, they're sadistic little monsters. I was in the graveyard when it happened. They—they made me think—I was too late…"

"To save Mario?" asked Gadd.

"Yes," said Luigi. "I saw a headstone with his name on it, and at first, it was working. I really thought he was…" He trailed off. "Then, they further taunted me by writing on the headstone, saying that he begged for his life, that I could've saved him. But when they tried to goad me into—doing something rash, I figured it out. Because Mario isn't one to beg from a villain. He'd stand tall until his last breath."

"You mean—they tried to make you…?"

Luigi nodded. "They must really hate us. And what bothers me is that I almost fell for it…"

"But you didn't," Gadd said gently. "You know your brother more than them, and that's what made you see through their charade."

"That's not all, though," said Luigi. "After suffering through that illusion, I had to fight this creature named Elh. And every time he and his shadows came near me, I felt…" He swallowed. "I felt so many doubts clutching at me, trying to…"

"Elh?" repeated Gadd.

"That's the name I saw on that headstone," said Luigi.

"Oh. He goes by another name, then?"

Luigi frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"The creature you fought is the product of this mansion's fear and despair, which was why you were feeling such negative emotions," said Gadd. "According to my findings, he's commonly known as Bogmire."

"Bogmire," repeated Luigi. "Then why was he hiding in a grave marked 'Elh'?"

"That was probably his original name," theorized Gadd.

"So, you're telling me that this Elh—or Bogmire—is the living personification of fear and horror?" asked Luigi. "And I _beat_ him?"

"You did," said Gadd.

"Whoa," breathed Luigi.

"If you can beat what's considered fear incarnate," Gadd went on, "then those Boos severely underestimated you."

Luigi took a sip of wine, weighing Gadd's words.

"Perhaps they did," he said finally.

Downing the wine, he stood up and grabbed his Poltergust. "All right. I'm going back in."

"See? I told you talking to me about this would help," said Gadd.

And indeed, a huge burden alighted itself from Luigi's shoulders as he strode out of the lab, the Poltergust feeling almost weightless.

"I'm on my way, Big Bro," he murmured. "I'm on my way back to you."


	13. The Face in the Canvas

As he commenced his third go-round of searching and ghost-hunting, Luigi made sure to check on Thad, Brad and Chad.

"I'm about to access the third area," he said, holding up the green key.

Brad beamed. "We knew you could!" he said happily.

"Hopefully Mario will turn up there," said Chad.

"Just watch your back, all right?" intoned Thad.

_You don't have to tell me twice_, said Luigi.

He decided that the less they knew of his experience in the graveyard, the better.

Before going into the third area, however, Luigi made a stop in the boneyard to water the huge plant again, watching as the sprout grew into a bulb-shaped flower. It made the place look less glum. Whistling to himself, Luigi next proceeded to the door which had a clover on top, which was glowing green. Once the glow dissipated, Luigi unlocked the door and stepped into a courtyard.

There was a fountain in the center of the courtyard, which Luigi used to fill up his water element meter. Tiny, bird-like ghosts lazily drifted around, nipping at him every so often. It didn't hurt much, but it was very annoying, so Luigi vacuumed them up as soon as he heard them approach. Watering the four plants around the fountain yielded treasure, and many bomb-throwing ghosts dropped down from the tree branches to startle him.

But as he explored the courtyard, he became conscious of a weird feeling in his chest. Like—a part of him was nearby.

_Mario was close._

Luigi stood perfectly still, listening to the rushing water and the wind.

"Mario?" he called.

No answer.

"Mario?" he called again.

Still nothing.

"Mario, I—I can _feel_ you…"

And not only was Mario nearby, he was also in a situation over which he had zero control.

A ghost's approach jolted him from his thoughts, and Luigi whirled on the interloper, capturing the ghost before he could even react. He crept from tree to tree, stunning and vacuuming all of the ghosts hidden among the branches, the courtyard brightening considerably when he was finished.

Luigi was rewarded with a chest stuffed with treasure, but bills and gold were the last things on his mind. That feeling in his chest grew stronger—stronger still when he approached a well.

"Mario?" he whispered. "I know you're here now. Do you know _I'm_ here?"

A fluttering sound made him turn, and he saw a piece of paper stuck in a nearby birdhouse. Luigi retrieved the paper and opened it.

And—

_That was Mario's handwriting!_

The penmanship looked rushed, as if Mario had been taken by surprise and had only a small margin to write this letter before being overcome. That feeling in Luigi's chest was joined by a twinge in the pit of his stomach. He _knew_ he was close to Mario—he _knew _it.

_Luigi_, the note said. _Rey Boo __è__ molto pericoloso. Lui controlla tutti i fantasmi. Attento!_

Upon closer inspection, Luigi thought he could see a smear of blood on the paper.

Mario's blood.

_They hurt him! They hurt my brother!_

The paper crinkled in Luigi's fist as he clenched it. They hurt him, but he managed to fight them off long enough for him to write this letter. But looking around the courtyard, he saw no signs of a struggle. So, the initial ambush must've occurred elsewhere, and the wind must've blown this letter into the birdhouse.

_It should've blown somewhere else_, thought Luigi. _I could've found it earlier, and they wouldn't have gotten the chance to hurt Mario._

Judging by the blood's maroon color, a significant time period had passed between Mario writing the letter and Luigi discovering it. But exactly how long? Luigi really couldn't tell.

Luigi pocketed the letter and had just turned back toward the well when he heard an echo coming from it.

It sounded like a voice.

It _was_ a voice.

Holding his breath, Luigi approached the well, braced his hands against it, and slightly leaned forward.

There it was again. A familiar falsetto voice—except that it sounded so _distressed_—

"Mario? Is that—is that you?"

A pause. Then—

"_Hey, Luigi! What's the hold-up?!_"

"Mario…!"

_He knows I'm here!_

Their love and their bond trumped any haunted mansion. So powerful was their connection that one could sense the other's presence. That was why Luigi felt that sensation in his chest and stomach. He _felt_ Mario, and Mario could feel him—

_Mario—I'm coming._

Luigi descended a ladder into the bottom of the well, treading along a short pathway until he found—a window? No, it was the mouth of a lion statue, and there was enough room for Luigi to observe the scene before him.

The room was lit by an ominous, orange glow, and it appeared to be an altar of sorts. More of those lion statues lined the walls, and toward the center of the room were two pillars and several fountains.

But Luigi didn't see the fountains. He didn't see the lion statues or the pillars. He didn't see anything in that room.

Except for what was hanging on the far wall.

It was a portrait.

Of Mario.

Except that this _wasn't_ a portrait of Mario. It was Mario, _imprisoned_ in a portrait. The hero who always rose to the challenge was now the helpless plaything of a villain the likes of which he'd never encountered before. Pain, panic, frustration and a myriad of other emotions flashed in his bright blue eyes as he pounded fiercely but fruitlessly on the wall of his artistic prison, screaming desperately.

_"Get me outta heeeeere!_"

Time simultaneously slowed down and sped up. The world had shrunk to just Luigi and the horrific scene he'd come upon.

Mario's panic-wracked face was mottled with bruises and marred with cuts of various lengths, his lip split open and both eyes blackened, one of them swelling up. There were wounds on his knuckles, signifying that he'd at least put up a mighty fight. There were also slashes and bloody bite-marks along his arms and upper body. The Boos had _really_ made him suffer. But the physical wounds were eclipsed by the way Mario kept futilely slamming at the wall in front of him, screaming over and over.

But there was no one to hear him. No one to care about him. No one to pray for him. No one to help him.

No one.

Save for Luigi.

"Mario…" he gasped, reaching a shaky hand towards him, hoping that his brother could see him. He probably knew that he was in the mansion, but did he know that he was actively searching for him? Did he think that the Boos had gotten him, too? Stuck in a portrait with no sense of time and no clue as to his baby bro's whereabouts—this had to be pure torture for Mario.

The red-clad plumber's screams seared through Luigi's soul, his breathing turning high-pitched and hysterical. Not only did Mario look panicked, but also he looked desperate and—for the first time ever—afraid. Seeing the brother he looked up to near hysterics as he continued to beat on his prison's wall tore Luigi up inside. And he'd probably given up on any chance of rescue from this fate.

"Mario…" Luigi croaked out, his vision growing hazy with tears. "It's me. I'm here. Don't be afraid. I'm gonna get you out of this. I swear to you…"

He slumped to the ground with a choked sob, cursing himself. How naïve could he be? He put his big bro in danger! He made a promise to look after Mario, and he broke it!

But did he? Wasn't he looking out for him now—by swallowing his fears and venturing through this mansion of horrors to find him?

Of course he was.

"Just hang in there, Mario," said Luigi. "I _will_ get you out of there. And nothing will stop me."

Blowing a kiss toward his imprisoned brother, Luigi stood and turned to leave, only for a hanging ghost to jump down and startle him. Luigi quickly vacuumed him up, the ghost dropping a key upon capture. Then, he scurried back up the well and set back out across the courtyard, coming upon what appeared to be a tiny shack. He used the vacuum to open the shack's door and found a weeping Toad huddled inside.

The Toad looked up. "You saw him, didn't you?" he asked.

"Yeah," said Luigi.

"How could they do that to Mario?" cried the Toad, whose name was Conrad. "When I saw him in that portrait, I completely lost it and ran through the mansion looking for a hiding place!"

Luigi hugged Conrad. "Thank goodness you're safe," he said.

"I happened to notice that Mario left some of his things lying around, though," said Conrad. "A hat, a glove, a shoe, a letter and a star."

"I already found the hat," said Luigi, "and I just found the letter."

"That's great," chirped Conrad. "I'd go collect the rest for you if I could remember where they were. I—I probably could've picked some up…"

"Hey," said Luigi. "Leave it to me, all right?"

"Really? You'll find Mario's items for me?"

"I, uh, I made a friend here who promised to help me track Mario down if I brought her some of his things," confessed Luigi.

"Oh, thank you so much, Luigi!" trilled Conrad. "Tell you what—I'll stay here, and if I see something, then I'll say something."

"I'd like that very much," said Luigi.

"Please—you have to help Mario," Conrad said softly.

Luigi looked deep into Conrad's eyes. "I'll never abandon him," he vowed. "Never."

And he meant it from the bottom of his heart.


	14. If I Was

The next room he found himself in was the rec room. All around him were exercise machines and equipment he'd never seen before. They were probably older models. In the center of the room were several punching bags and weights. And the dumbbell seemed to be bench-pressing itself.

_That's a ghost,_ Luigi told himself.

But before he could investigate further, a blue ghost popped out from behind one of the cardio machines.

Luigi was upon the ghost before he could even attack, the image of Mario in that portrait burning deeply into his mind and giving him an adrenaline rush. He quickly sucked that ghost up, which yielded some coins and a gem, before taking a closer look at the bench-pressing dumbbell.

As it turns out, the one doing the bench-pressing was in fact a ghost. A rather buff ghost wearing a red tank top and purple pants, his blond hair styled in a flattop. Luigi whipped out the Game Boy horror and scanned the muscular ghost.

"Biff Atlas?" he asked.

"Yeah?" replied the ghost. "What's that to you?"

"It says here that you're a bodybuilder," said Luigi.

"Yup," said Biff, setting down the dumbbell and flexing his muscles, "and just look at this buffness! I'm huge!"

"No need to rub it in," said Luigi.

"What, are you jealous?" scoffed Biff.

"Well—kinda…" said Luigi as he looked Biff and his hot, rocking bod over.

"Thank you for your honesty," said Biff. "Now, enough talk. How'd you like to be my punching bag, weakling?"

Luigi glared. "I'm no weakling," he snapped, "and I can prove it."

Biff just laughed.

_I don't need to be insulted by ghosts right now,_ thought Luigi.

But then—

_Punching bag?_ Luigi's eyes swung back to the punching bags surrounding Biff. _That's it!_

He really needed to punch something, anyway.

Luigi strode up to one of the punching bags and gave it a good left jab, sending it swinging into Biff and knocking him backwards. The heavy bag then swung back, but Luigi evaded it just in time.

"You little…" growled Biff, raising his fists and charging at the plumber.

Dodging Biff's punches, Luigi darted to another punching bag and delivered a solid right hook, timing his punch so that this bag also sent Biff reeling.

"You're gonna regret that!" cried Biff as he started whirling around in a manner reminiscent of Luigi's Cyclone move in that Smash tournament.

However, Luigi stopped this tornado in its tracks by punching a third bag into him. This time, the blow was hard enough to expose Biff's heart.

"This is for calling me a weakling," Luigi said evenly before stunning Biff and beginning to vacuum away the arrogant ghost's HP.

But since Biff was so strong, Luigi naturally had trouble capturing him. He broke free several times, making Luigi repeat the whole punching bag rigmarole all over again. And Biff's swings became more precise, causing him to take a few hits. However, Luigi was so full of emotion, and so much was on his mind that it barely hurt him. Three tries later, the man in green succeeded in capturing Biff.

A treasure chest and a Boo was left in Biff's wake, and once the Boo was in the Poltergust and the treasure was in hand, Luigi continued on, deciding to play some more music on his iPod.

He trudged up the steps and doused another flaming door, which opened into a tearoom. After sucking up some golden mice, Luigi tangled with two white grabbing ghosts, vacuumed a Boo hiding in one of the cabinets and opened a chest containing a sky blue medallion—a third Elemental Medal.

"Looks like you've got the Ice Elemental Medal!" said Gadd when he called Luigi. "Now, you can use the Ice Element!"

"So, I have three elements at my disposal," said Luigi. "That's nice."

"Ice Elemental Ghosts are found only in chilly places," said Gadd. "You'll probably find them in refrigerators and cold areas like that. My research shows that they come out of hiding when you approach."

"Just like the fire and water ghosts," said Luigi.

"Just like them," said Gadd. "A good rule of thumb to keep in mind is that water beats fire, fire beats ice and ice beats water."

"Okeydokey," said Luigi before hanging up.

His music playing on low, Luigi ventured down the second floor hallway, vacuuming up any ghostly bat, mouse and hanging ghost he saw. However, he came across small ghosts which exploded on contact or after a small amount of time—he made sure to try and avoid those.

In a room simply called Nana's room, Luigi heard the eerie creaking of a rocking chair as it swayed back and forth, the humming ghosts further amplifying the foreboding atmosphere. As Luigi battled the ghosts he came across, he accidentally jostled a basket containing three yarn balls. Once all of the ghosts bothering him were captured, Luigi studied the yarn balls. They _had_ to be there for a reason.

He caught one of the balls in the Poltergust's nozzle and jerked his head up as the rocking chair dragged itself towards him. And on that rocking chair was a ghost with silver hair—the aforementioned Nana. Instinctively, Luigi launched the yarn ball at her, making her recoil.

_Okay—now I just have to do the same with the other two._

When Luigi sucked up the second yarn ball, Nana floated toward him again, shooting what appeared to be lasers in his direction. Working quickly, Luigi hit her with the second yarn ball and did the same with the last yarn ball. As soon as he saw Nana's heart, he let go with the Poltergust. He wound up bumping into table edges as she tried to drag him about, but his grip didn't slacken until she was sucked into the vacuum.

When the lights came back on, Luigi uncovered and captured a Boo hiding in one of the drawers and opened a chest containing a key.

The door across from Nana's room was a bathroom, where Luigi saw the silhouette of someone taking a shower. Luigi pulled back the shower curtain to reveal a quite heavyset ghost, which the GBH identified as Miss Petunia.

"There's nothing I love more than a piping hot shower," said Miss Petunia.

_Piping hot, huh?_ Luigi thought as he remembered his ice element. _I can change that._

Miss Petunia turned and sent a stream of scalding hot water Luigi's way. Luigi leaned aside and answered back with a frigid ice blast, causing her to sneeze violently.

"Gotcha!" cried Luigi, quickly stunning and capturing Miss Petunia. No Boo was hiding around this time, but he _did_ get a key for his efforts.

In the second floor washroom, Luigi swapped out the ice element for the water element, which he used to subdue a fire ghost and earn some treasure. Then, he set back off down the hallway.

"If I Was" by Midge Ure began to play on his iPod, which made him sigh. Shortly after that first rescue mission in the MK, the Mario Bros graduated from sewers to toilets and sinks. It was less gross and netted more pay. And it wasn't long before Mario Bros Plumbing became a household name in both the MK and Brooklyn. When dealing with a tough clog or a leaky pipe, the two would often have the radio on low—and this particular song would always play on their favorite station. Luigi remembered how Mario would whistle along while he deftly turned a wrench, and during their lunch break, he'd call the station's request line to ask the DJ to play that song. Whenever it came on during the drive home, the two of them would sing along at the top of their lungs, and whatever traffic jam they encountered wouldn't matter anymore.

But if the Boos had their way, there would be no more drives home singing along to "If I Was". No more listening to Mario whistle along as he fiddled around under a sink. No more calling that request line to ask the DJ to play "If I Was". Only a lifetime of wondering if he could've done more.

Luigi sucked up a fire ghost and stepped into an astral hall, where he used the fire element to light the candles around a star-shaped pattern on the floor. When he moved to stand on the star, the flames turned violet, and he was promptly set upon by regular ghosts, grabbing ghosts and Shy Guy ghosts.

Five minutes later, all of the ghosts were defeated. Luigi easily vacuumed up a Boo hiding in a drawer and pushed through the next door into an observatory.

Curiously, Luigi peeked through the telescope and saw a multitude of stars encircling—the moon. He gasped as the moon suddenly changed position; it appeared closer to him now.

When Luigi stepped back from the telescope, the other three walls of the observatory had fallen away, and he found himself in what looked like space itself. It had to be another illusion, courtesy of the Boos.

Gazing in wonder at the environment around him, Luigi saw a yellow shooting star arcing toward him. Luigi snagged it with the Poltergust and launched it toward the moon. He fired off several more stars before one of them hit the moon directly, causing it to explode.

"I knew it," Luigi muttered.

A glassy, rainbow path formed in front of him, leading to a stone platform. And on that platform was a star.

Carefully, Luigi stepped across the walkway. A laugh burst from him when he reached the star on the platform. For it wasn't just any old star. It was Mario's star!

_Star light, star bright—_

Luigi picked up the star, which hovered an inch or two off his palm. It levitated and slowly spun around, not giving a care in the world, it's brilliant light bathing Luigi's face. A stirring feeling emerged inside him, causing his heartbeat to steady, his insides to tingle and his body to feel nice and warm. Mario's lucky star, sending all of its power to Luigi so he could return it to its owner.

It would be his guiding star.

Luigi pressed his lips to the star, and it began to glow brighter and brighter, as if Mario was doing his best to comfort his little brother through his star.

_Star light, star bright, lead me back to my brother tonight._

Mario's star was now held close to Luigi's heart, the man in green's spirit alighting and beginning to soar beyond the Boo's machinations. He laughed, his peals of laughter echoing through the observatory and into the illusion of constellations. Small flickers of peace manifested themselves in his soul, and the storm inside him had begun to still. The crashing waves settled, and now Luigi could sail on.

_Star light, star bright, lead me back to my brother tonight. I won't ever go astray, because I know you'll guide my way._

**D'aawww!**


	15. Shadow Play

The star's warmth and comfort continued to encircle Luigi as he stepped into the Twins' Room, and the moment he saw that bunk bed and the posters on the wall, more memories rushed in. He and Mario didn't have bunk beds, but they shared a bedroom until they were around five. After waking up from a nightmare, Luigi would crawl into Mario's bed, and the elder brother would snuggle with him, no exceptions. Even after they were old enough to sleep in separate rooms, Luigi would tiptoe into Mario's room whenever he needed company. Mario's arms would be wrapped comfortably around him, his body curled around his, the sound of their shared heartbeats quickly sending him off to dreamland. During their teen years, the two of them would secretly watch MA-rated programs on the TV, the sound on low so their parents wouldn't hear, snickering and blushing at the flashes of skin or whenever a profane word was uttered. While in college, one would sneak into the other's dormitories, and the two of them would whisper about various pieces of gossip they'd picked up or look over—ahem—_magazines_ together. And while they wound up living in different apartments, they made sure to stay in the same apartment complex so they'd visit each other frequently.

Scanning the room, Luigi could tell that these twins were quite young—two, at the oldest. He stared up at the mobile dangling from the ceiling and turned his vacuum on it so that it started to spin. Unfortunately, a blue ghost interrupted him.

After dealing with that blue ghost, Luigi began to spin the mobile around again. Once it had gained a fast enough speed, the ghostly twins materialized in front of him.

Both of them had blonde hair styled in the same way, but whereas one wore pink, the other wore purple. Luigi cocked his head and studied them; they sort of reminded him of Neville. Were they related to him? According to the GBH, their names were Henry and Orville, and they enjoyed playing hide-and-seek.

_Hide-and-seek—Mario and I used to_ love_ playing that game. We grew out of that, though._

_ Well—we sorta play a twisted version of hide-and-seek with that infernal turtle nowadays, whenever he spirits Peach off to his castle…_

"Hey, mister," Henry said cheerily. "What are you doing there looking all lonely?"

"I'm—looking for someone," Luigi truthfully replied.

"Like—hide-and-seek?" Orville piped up.

"Yeah," said Luigi. "The thing is—the other guy is doing too good of a job at hiding."

"You're in luck—because Henry and I are hide-and-seek champs!" boasted Orville. "We can teach you a few basics."

"Yeah," Henry chimed in. "Wanna play hide-and-seek with us?"

"Sure, why not?" asked Luigi. _It's not like I have much of a choice, anyway._

"Yay!" the ghost twins cheered in unison.

"Okay, you know the drill," said Orville. "We're gonna hide now, so you gotta wait outside!"

"Okeydokey," said Luigi.

Once he was outside the twins' room, he called, "So—do I count to twenty or something?"

"No," said Henry's voice. "We'll let you know when we're ready!"

"Whatever floats your boat," said Luigi.

So, he waited. Luckily, the twins didn't need that long to find a hiding spot.

"Say—what's your name, mister?" asked Henry.

"Luigi."

"Okay, Luigi! You can come in now," said Orville, and he and Henry giggled.

"All right," said Luigi. "Ready or not, here I come!"

Back inside the twins' room, Luigi noticed five boxes arranged in a circle on the carpet, deducing that Henry and Orville must be hiding in one of them. First, he blew air at the boxes to determine which of them was empty and which wasn't. Then, he peeked in the boxes which he thought hid a twin.

He found Orville first, in a box closest to the desk.

"Not bad, Luigi!" Orville congratulated when he popped out of his box.

It didn't take long for Luigi to find Henry, as he was one box away from Orville. He—was less gracious about it.

"Hey, that's not right!" snapped Henry. "Play fair, cheater!"

"I wasn't cheating!" Luigi objected. "I was using a process of elimination!"

"Cheater, cheater, pumpkin eater!" Henry persisted. "You just ruined our fun! _Now_ look what happens!"

He hopped into a toy car, while Orville jumped into a toy airplane. The ghost twins proceeded to pursue Luigi around their room, throwing bombs and other projectiles at him and trying to run him down.

Luigi scurried up the bunk bed's ladder and stood on the top bunk, vacuum on and ready to go. First, he vacuumed Orville and his plane, first sending the boy off-course, and then sucking up the aircraft. Orville then exposed his heart, and Luigi stunned him at once, leaning against the wall and digging his heels against the mattress so he wouldn't get thrown off the bed as he wrestled the ghost into the Poltergust.

"Orville!" shouted Henry, but in his perch, Luigi was safe from him.

Now laying on his stomach, Luigi aimed the vacuum at Henry's car, lifting them both into the air before managing to dislodge the remaining ghost twin from the toy vehicle. Now, Henry was also vulnerable to the Poltergust, and Luigi quickly shifted to a seated position as he let his vacuum rip once more. However, Henry's struggles managed to send Luigi back onto his stomach, though he regained control by tightening his abs and shifting his body each time Henry changed directions.

When Henry was finally captured, Luigi lay on the mattress for a few seconds, catching his breath. But he didn't allow himself to rest for long.

Climbing down from the bunk bed, Luigi found a red chest, which he opened to find—Mario's shoe!

The familiar, brown, slightly worn footwear had never been such a welcoming sight to Luigi. He inhaled the scent of the familiar foot powder Mario used to keep the shoe smelling fresh—Gold Bond, he believed the stuff was called, and then slid it into one of his pockets.

_All right. Just one more item to go._

A Boo named Booris was hiding in the desk, and he taunted Luigi before being sent to join his compadres inside the Poltergust in short order. The man in green had now captured twenty Boos! Imagine that!

After sending Gadd the data and making a quick stop in the washroom to update Brad, Luigi unlocked the door to the billiards room, where he made short work of a speedy spirit and encountered another portrait ghost floating around with a pool cue. The GBH identified him as Slim Bankshot, an accomplished pool player.

As Luigi watched, Slim positioned the cue and took careful aim before whacking the cue ball into the cluster of pool balls, sending them bouncing about the room. While dodging the pool balls, Luigi came up with an idea to subdue this billiards-playing ghost. He sidestepped a ball, snagged it in the vacuum's nozzle and then launched it at Slim, hitting him in the stomach and causing him to slump over, exposing his heart. The man in green ran up from behind, turned the suction on, and began vacuuming Slim.

Whenever Slim broke free, Luigi would simply catch a pool ball and throw it at him before trying again. This went on for close to seven minutes, and Luigi's arm muscles were smarting by the time he finally captured Mr. Bankshot. He shook out his arms and rolled his shoulders a few times before sucking up yet another Boo.

The room next to the billiards room was a projection room, where Luigi saw shadows of various ghosts frolicking about on the white screen. At first, he thought it was just a movie. But when he moved to the center of the room and took a solid blow to the jaw, he realized that these ghosts were quite real. He had to use the shadows on the screen to pinpoint and catch them.

Oh, joy.

For nearly fifteen minutes, this clash of shadows played out on the cinema screen. Luigi found it strangely symbolic, watching his shadow face off against the shadows of ghosts. Because wasn't _he_ a shadow? Hadn't he spent the last sixteen years in the shadow of someone greater? As the throwdown in the projection room intensified, this shadow was demonstrating that he didn't need anyone to hold his hand. He wanted to be anywhere but here right now, but he didn't have a choice—and he wasn't gonna wait around for someone to clean up this mess for him.

Luigi sucked the last of the cinema ghosts into the Poltergust and dealt with a Boo who called himself ShamBoo. He could feel the large bruises he'd taken during the fight, but he paid no attention to the throbbing as he crossed the room to a treasure chest which contained—Mario's glove!

The glove was damp and quite sweaty, but Luigi didn't mind. All he cared about was that he now had the five items Conrad was talking about. He'd take them to Madame C, and she'd use her powers to at least give him a clue on how to extract Mario from the situation he'd landed in.

Luigi kissed the glove, pocketed it and made his way back to the fortune-teller room. It was time to get some answers.


	16. Sinister Secrets

"Ah, Luigi," said Madame C. "It's nice to see you again."

Luigi pulled out Mario's letter, star, glove and shoe and placed them on the table. "I found more of my brother's items," he said. "Can you use them to find out more about his situation?"

"I certainly can," said Madame C. "I'll start with Mario's glove—still damp with the sweat of the living."

Madame C turned the glove over and over and traced each finger. Her eyes darkened as she began to speak.

"Your Mario, I'm sorry to say, is imprisoned," she said, "but where—oh, where is he being held? Wait a minute—is that a painting? Yes! Your Mario has been imprisoned within a painting! I'm seeing—an odd altar, and above it, your Mario! Trapped in a painting!"

Luigi shivered as he recalled the image of his battered brother, frantically bashing on the wall of his artistic prison and screaming for help. What was beyond that picture frame, anyway? Nothingness? A void designed to drive the captive mad? The thought made his stomach clench.

"I—I already saw what they've done to him," he said, "but I just need to know why? And is there a way I can get to this altar?"

"Let's find out," said Madame C, picking up Mario's shoe. "Why, the sole of this shoe is so worn, as if he's walked a thousand miles! Hmm…" She began squeezing, poking and prodding at the shoe. "Listen! Can you hear it? The inner voice of your sweet, beloved Mario? He calls…"

Luigi's breath hitched and shortened as that same, falsetto, panicked voice echoed around them, screaming out his name.

"Luigi! _Luigi!_"

"Mario…"

"Luigi, please! Help me!"

"I will, Mario. I will…"

"Please, you gotta…" Whatever else he was about to say was cut off by a scream of unimaginable agony.

Madame C's figure blurred before Luigi's eyes, each of his brother's screams squeezing his heart out of shape.

"Help—Luigi…" Mario's voice whispered.

Madame C's brow creased. "I don't understand," she murmured.

"What?" Luigi asked, a little frantically.

Madame C's eyes met his. "It's a—king. King—Boo. Who _is_ this King Boo?"

"M—Mario mentioned a King Boo in his letter," said Luigi. "He said he's dangerous…"

"That's what he's telling me," said Madame C. "Beware of King Boo—this is what your brother wishes to say to you."

"He also said that he's controlling all of the ghosts here," said Luigi, beginning to wonder if he should really trust Madame C. What if she was acting on King Boo's orders, as well?

Madame C pursed her lips. "I'm seeing a larger Boo wearing a crown—_that's_ King Boo," she said, "and he's the one who's captured your Mario!"

"Why?" asked Luigi. "What does he want? Ransom? Insurance? What?"

"Let me take a look at another of Mario's dropped items," said Madame C. "Aha—there's the letter you're talking about! It's—in Italian, one of the languages of love."

"When we were growing up, Mario and I spoke Italian around the house," said Luigi. "We're fluent in both Italian and English."

"Well, I don't mean to brag, but I can speak, read and understand nine languages," said Madame C, "and Italian has to be one of them. Okay, so this letter translates to: '_Luigi, King Boo is very dangerous. He controls all of the ghosts. Look out!'_ Ew—it has blood on it…Okay, focus. Focus…"

She bit her lip. "Mario—wants to tell you something about the power of the Boos," she said. "What is it, Mario? What do you wish to say to Luigi about this mysterious Boo power? Oh—uh-huh—okay—the Boos do indeed have strange powers. When they gather in numbers, their power grows stronger. But—they fear your mighty Poltergust 3000! That's a good thing to know, don't you agree?"

Luigi nodded vigorously.

Then, Madame C rubbed her temples. "Ugh—I fear that I have only enough power within me to read one more of your brother's items—and here it is. Mario's Star—an otherworldly beauty." She stared intently at Mario's lucky star—which had now become Luigi's guiding star.

"Now, the scene appears before me," she said. "There's Mario, and he's holding out hope that you'll come. And—oh, no." Fear crossed her face. "Oh, holy mother of God, it can't be!"

"What is it?" gasped Luigi. "What do you see?!"

Madame C's voice was nearly hoarse with terror. "It's—Koopa," she told him. "I see the hideous form of the Koopa King!"

Luigi nearly soiled himself. The tall, hulking reptile, with his sharp, slashing claws, muscular build, wicked green eyes and smirking mouth which spewed out fire was somehow in on this?!

"Is he somewhere in this mansion?! I can't believe it…" Madame C's already-pale complexion paled further. "…and yet I see it."

Luigi swallowed thickly. "There's a—truce between us," he said. "Normally, these truces don't last long, but I thought it would be different this time. After what happened—a month ago…"

How could he ever forget the seemingly ordinary morning of September 11? The MK was already anticipating Koopa's "visit", but as soon as the first image of smoke pouring from the North Tower of the World Trade Center was broadcasted, everything was thrown into chaos. Everyone had thought it was an accident—until they witnessed a plane slam directly into the South Tower. It was 102 minutes of horror and heartbreak as the Twin Towers crumbled to their very foundation, followed by similar attacks at the Pentagon, reports of aircraft circling the White House and a flight that was brought down near Pittsburgh, PA, the passengers fighting back against the hijackers and preventing further casualties. But in the wake of these attacks, Koopa had demonstrated that despite his ruthlessness, he at least had standards, and committing such acts was a line he simply wouldn't cross. Koopa and Peach had united in their grief and led a candlelight vigil later that night, and the former hadn't made any shows of hostility since—until now.

"Has King Boo somehow persuaded Koopa to break this truce?" asked Madame C. "This could be horrible!"

"King Boo's plans will benefit him," said Luigi. "With Mario out of the way, he doesn't think the MK will stand a chance, and he can conquer it and take Peach as his queen. Even the enemies don't think so highly of me."

"A political and military alliance between these two kings means that Koopa must be desperate," cautioned Madame C. "And nothing good ever comes out of a ruthless person who's become desperate! Ah, no! My powers leave me; the spirits depart! This is all I can show you, Luigi. That was the last of my power."

"You did what you could," Luigi said consolingly. "That's all that matters. Thanks to you, I know more about the situation than when we first met."

Madame C solemnly nodded, looking—resigned. "I have given words to what the spirits have shown," she said, "so I can return to my painting satisfied. Send me there now, you vacuum-wielding rogue!"

"You—you _want_ me to suck you into the Poltergust?" Luigi asked in disbelief. "But—you've been so kind to me…"

"Please—do it," entreated Madame C. "You have to…"

She exposed her heart, and Luigi reluctantly turned the vacuum on her.

"Ahhhhh! Finally, I can return in peace to my painting!" Madame C joyfully cried as her HP depleted. "Sweet happiness in oils—I thank you. I thank you, kind Luigi!"

She disappeared into the vacuum with a _pop_, and then Luigi fell to his knees, overwhelmed by what he'd just found out.

The sound of the Boo Radar snapped him out of it, and his face became granite as he used his vacuum to force out a Boo hiding within the crystal ball.

"Hey, there!" greeted the Boo. "I'm Booigi!"

Luigi had nothing to say to him—he brandished the vacuum and captured the Boo in seconds.

_Dio! King Boo and Koopa are working together to get rid of Mario once and for all! This is worse than I thought!_ Luigi's breath temporarily sped up as he thought of the two villains gloating about their scheme together, discussing all of the despicable things they planned to do to Mario now that he was at their mercy, how they'd no doubt _take their_ time with him…

But then Luigi closed his eyes and regained control of his breaths. Panicking wouldn't stop this plan from coming to fruition. Luigi wanted nothing more than to race back home and hide under his bed, but then he'd let Mario down—one of the things he swore he'd _never_ do.

Mario needed Luigi more than ever—so he had to give his all.


	17. Boos on the Balcony

He moved through the darkened corridors with a sense of purpose, hardly stopping when a ghost got in his way. Blue eyes fixed, gloved hands tightly gripping his trusty Poltergust, his iPod playing as loudly as his ears could tolerate. All he was thinking about was Mario, whose mortal enemy was now in cahoots with a new enemy which lacked the Koopa King's moral code and sense of fair play. He imagined the two of them ganging up on Mario, taunting him, tormenting him, torturing him. It made sweat bead thickly on his face, but he journeyed on, capturing any Boo he came across. Nobody messed with his bro—even if the perpetrators scared him senseless!

In a safari room, the eyes of the three mounted lion heads glowed ominously before three water-based ghosts and two of those banana-eating ghosts dropped in to say hello. Good thing Luigi had sucked up an Ice Elemental Ghost earlier. A precise ice shot froze both water-based ghosts in their tracks, and Luigi smoothly captured them, evading or trying to evade thrown banana peels as he did. After he vacuumed up the banana peels, he dealt with the litterbug ghosts, and once the lights came on, he sucked up a Boo and earned a key which unlocked the door at the end of the third floor hallway.

This door took him to a balcony, where his Boo Radar was immediately sent into the red.

A cluster of Boos floated together in a circle, the milky light of the full moon washing down on their bodies and giving them a more ominous appearance. His guard up, Luigi tiptoed toward them. Maybe he could ambush them and vacuum the lot of them without difficulty.

Too bad they had something else in mind.

"That scaredy-cat Luigi has made it this far," they snickered, making the man in green see red. "Oh, we're so frightened! I guess it's our turn, then."

The Boos all turned and leered at the man in green, but he didn't back up an inch.

"All right, Boos—let's assume our real form! But first, how about giving him a little scare?"

The Boos disappeared one-by-one—only to reappear seconds later, surrounding Luigi!

"Get away!" Luigi cried out as the Boos giggled. "Get away, all of you!"

Joining appendages, the Boos tightened their circle around Luigi, floating closer and closer to him until their tongues could almost touch him. He recoiled from them as they creepily licked at his nose, cheeks and ears. Faster and faster they encircled him, and then everything went white before his eyes—

Luigi now stood in an eerier version of the balcony, two unicorn statues on either side and everything else backdropped by a violet aura. All of his brain cells were screaming _Danger! Danger!_ It was a struggle to keep his breathing controlled.

_Am I in another illusion?_

He glanced up, and a scream ripped from him as a colossus of a Boo emerged, grinning wickedly at him. If he hadn't jumped aside when he did, this ginormous Boo would've made a pancake out of him. The giant Boo laughed gleefully as he glared down at Luigi with yellow eyes.

_Oh, God, help me._

Luigi took off as the huge Boo—Boolossus, he decided to name this one—bounced after him, trying to splatter him all over the floor! Before panic could overtake him, he glanced at one of the unicorn statues and saw the Ice Elemental Ghost next to it.

_This looks important_.

Quickly, Luigi sucked up the Ice Elemental Ghost. As Boolossus bore down on him, a wild idea flashed through his mind. Turning on the vacuum, he dragged Boolossus toward one of the unicorn statues, impaling him on the unicorn's sharp horn. Instantly, Boolossus popped into smaller Boos.

_I can use my Ice Element on them_, Luigi thought, and that's what he did, firing ice blasts at those Boos and freezing as many as he could. The frozen Boos fell to the ground with a small _tinkle_, and Luigi easily sucked them up. But the remaining Boos furiously buzzed around him, attacking when his back was turned and leaving bloody slashes on his body and limbs. His eyes watered, but they'd never hear him scream.

When the Boos reformed into Boolossus, Luigi refilled his ice meter and used his vacuum to pull his opponent toward the closest unicorn statue. And again, Boolossus popped into the smaller Boos, who grew smarter and evaded Luigi whenever he came at them with his ice. He was only able to freeze and capture one or two of them before Boolossus reformed and then rammed hard into him, sending him stumbling against the balcony rail.

"Big mistake," he muttered, shaking off the pain and turning on the suction.

In turn, Luigi rammed Boolossus right back into a unicorn statue, freezing a handful of individual Boos while they were still stunned.

Several more Boos ripped into him then, making him gasp and nearly drop his Poltergust.

_Breathe. In and out and in and out—_

The Boos giggled. Luigi quietly steamed, hearing Mario's voice shouting to him in his mind. He came at those Boos, ice blazing, more frozen Boos clattering to the ground in his wake.

_Keep moving. Keep fighting. I will survive._

Boolossus reformed, and Luigi just kept dragging him from statue to statue, freezing and sucking up as many Boos as he could. But this large Boo didn't go down without a proper fight, continuing to ram him and knock the wind from him, trying to flatten him while he was down. What remained of the Boos attacked more fiercely than ever, cleverly dive-bombing his abdomen, legs and lower arms. But no amount of attacking would make him lose his grip on his Poltergust or bring him to his knees. Not for long, at least.

Eventually, Luigi got the idea of vacuuming the fleeing Boos toward him before freezing them. He'd waste less ice, and he'd spend less time refilling his ice meter. He wound up taking more attacks using this tactic, but his luck held and his plan worked, more and more Boos falling victim to the Poltergust.

After what seemed like hours, Luigi finally sucked in the last Boo making up Boolossus. Triumphantly, he spun the vacuum's nozzle thrice, spun around and struck a pose.

_I did it, Bro. I fought a giant Boo—and won._

Luigi closed his eyes. When he opened them, he was back on the balcony, a golden chest a few inches in front of him. He opened it to reveal a sky blue key with a diamond shape on top. Laughing softly, Luigi pocketed it and answered the GBH as it rang.

"Luigi! What a relief!" cried Gadd. "That white mist interrupted your signal!"

The professor's lip curled as he looked over the man in green, covered in slashes, gashes and bruises. "Hmm—you seem to have done some serious work there," he said. "Why don't you come on back to the lab? You can tell me about your latest adventures over a nice dinner."

"Sounds good," said Luigi. "My body could use some fuel."

"All righty—I'll whip something up right now," said Gadd.

"See you soon," Luigi told him before hanging up.

Thad leaped up when he saw Luigi appear in the foyer. "Luigi!" he exclaimed. "Conrad phoned me; he told me what happened! Mario's really inside a painting?"

"He is," said Luigi, "and there's a possibility Koopa's involved, as well."

"I should've known he'd be back to his old ways soon," huffed Thad. "Okay, I'll keep my eyes and ears peeled for that turtle."

"Thanks, Thad. I'll be back before you know it," Luigi told him.

"How—how are you gonna get him out of there?" asked Thad.

"First, I'm gonna thrash the b—ds responsible, and then I'll take him to my new friend, Professor Gadd," he said. "He'll find a way. I have faith in him."

"And I have faith in _you_, Luigi," said Thad.

Luigi's face softened. "Thanks," he said quietly.

He turned and walked the rest of the way to Gadd's lab.


	18. Rejuvenation

The smell of a home-cooked meal greeted the man in green as he stepped into Gadd's lab. His stomach growled in response, and he couldn't wait to find out what the scientist had decided to prepare. The professor himself emerged with a white apron protecting his lab coat, his face paling when he eyed the slashed-up younger man.

"My word! You look like you've walked into a Boo attack!" cried Gadd, quickly rushing to get the disinfectant and gauze.

"I did," said Luigi, sidling over to the Portrificationizer and emptying the Poltergust into it.

As the ghosts he'd captured were turned into paintings, Luigi slid off the Poltergust and plunked himself onto the sofa, Gadd running over and taking stock of the Boo-inflicted wounds.

"Yikes—a few of them bit you, too," murmured Elvin, beginning to apply the disinfectant as Luigi winced at the sting. "Don't worry, they don't have any diseases, because they're, you know, ghosts. But I don't want these wounds getting infected. Where did this happen?"

"On the balcony," said Luigi. "I came upon a bunch of Boos waiting for me. And then they formed into one gigantic Boo. I decided to call him Boolossus. Did you know Boos could do that—merge together?"

"I—didn't observe the Boos doing that yet," Gadd said, surprised. "I'd better make note of that."

Carefully, Gadd wrapped the gauze around Luigi's wounds. "Would it surprise you if I said that the Boos were once friendly with me?"

"No way—the Boos being nice?" balked Luigi. "They must've had an ulterior motive."

"I thought the same, so I always had my guard up during our interactions," said Gadd. "Here—I'll tell you more over dinner."

To start off, Gadd served up a shrimp salad with croutons and thousand-island dressing, with a side of freshly baked bread and warm butter.

"As I mentioned before, I grew up in the States," said Gadd. "In 1941, I earned my degree, became a professor, and taught paranormal studies at Colombia University in New York. Then, the Red Scare happened, and I was suspected of being a Communist sympathizer and dragged before McCarthy and his HUAC friends. Naturally, I was very upset at being accused of such things and left for greener pastures, eventually finding myself here in Boo Woods. There, I built my lab, set up my gallery and decided to devote the rest of my life to observing Boos."

"And you say that the Boos were hospitable?" asked Luigi.

"Well—maybe," said Gadd. "They'd follow me around and lick their tongues out at me, but they didn't attack me. In fact, when I looked directly at them, they'd cover their faces. But—they let me conduct my research in their woods. And at night, I'd observe them and discover morsels about their society. Either they didn't notice me, or they just didn't care—yet.

"In 1955, a new King began his reign. The night was oddly quiet, so I followed the Boos to a secluded area of the woods and saw them all arranged in a circle, with a larger Boo kneeling in between. Two more Boos flew in with a bejeweled crown on a pillow, and they slowly placed the crown on the larger Boo's head. The other Boos started cheering and chanting 'Long may he reign!', and the newly-crowned King floated up and smiled." Gadd shivered. "I'll never forget that smile as long as I live."

"That King—is that their current King?" asked Luigi.

"He is," replied Gadd.

"Wow—he's definitely older than he looks," mused Luigi. "Of course, ghosts don't age, but still—this Boo's been King for forty-six years. Did you two—interact?"

"And how!" responded Gadd. "King Boo was _so_ polite. He invited me to all of his balls, all of his holiday parties and New Year's celebrations, all of his birthday bashes and Halloween engagements. We watched the _Apollo_ launch together, the moon landing, the _Colombia_ launch—even the _Challenger_ disaster. Whenever there was a Boo get-together, he invited me. He was—cordial enough. Once, he told me about the political and military alliance he'd forged with another King…"

"Koopa," gasped Luigi. "He _had_ to be referring to him. I bet he twisted things around so he'd appear more sympathetic!"

"It would seem so," said Gadd. "He said he was helping this King because _two guys_ were trying to keep him away from the woman he loves—sort of like a 'star-crossed lovers' type of deal."

"Hardly," huffed Luigi. "Koopa either wants Peach for her magic, or—Mario and I are starting to think that he really _does_ love her, in his own twisted way. But this is a reptile who disrupts daily life in the MK at least twice a week so he can grab Peach and do whatever he wants with her. That's not love. That's lust and obsession. Wait a minute—did he tell you anything about this?"

"Nothing—he didn't trust me with it, I guess," Gadd told me, "but he _did_ tell me that he hoped he and—Koopa—would become friends. You think—this Koopa is in on this?"

Luigi nodded rigorously. "Madame C, the fortune-teller ghost, helped me by looking over Mario's discarded items," he said, "and—she saw a vision of Koopa. He hates Mario's guts, so I wouldn't be surprised if they actually _are_ in cahoots." He closed his eyes. "We've fought him so many times in the past sixteen years, and every punch, slash, roar and gout of fire is permanently branded on my memory. Why—was King Boo so nice, and what made him so vengeful?"

"I can't say—maybe the courtesy was just a mask, and he was trying to lure me in a trap," said Gadd. "I'm just thankful I'm still alive, now that he's shown his true colors."

The two of them finished their salads, and then Gadd brought out the main course—bacon-wrapped filet mignon with garlic butter and baked potatoes with all the fixings. And to wash it down were several bottles of sweet wine.

"I should've pressed the matter," sighed Gadd, "but I didn't, because I knew I had to be careful around King Boo and his brethren. Now, you and Mario are paying for it."

"You did what you had to in order to survive," said Luigi. "I don't blame you." He blew on a forkful of baked potato before leveling it into his mouth.

"Enough talk about that, though," said Gadd. "What were you up to during that third run?"

"Aside from Madame C seeing Koopa? I encountered the twins, Henry and Orville," said Luigi. "I couldn't help but notice that they bore a close resemblance to Neville. Are they…?"

"His sons? In fact, they are," said Gadd, "but not with Lydia. Chauncey is his only child with her."

"So—they're Lydia's stepsons," reasoned Luigi. "From a previous relationship?"

"Better," grinned Gadd. "An affair."

Luigi's eyes widened. "An affair?! With who? Do you think the twins' biological mother is in that mansion?"

"I believe you've already captured her," Gadd told him. "Their biological mother is—Miss Petunia."

Luigi nearly spat out his food. "Neville cheated on Lydia with—Miss Petunia?!"

"Back in the day, she was quite a looker," said Gadd. "Very slim, very fit, very seductive. You know how she loved her warm showers? Well, one day, she seduced Neville during one such shower—a public shower."

"No way! They actually—in a public shower—and nobody noticed?! Yuck!"

"They carried on their liaison for a long time," said Gadd. "When Miss Petunia became pregnant with the twins, she was smart enough to have a close friend of hers pose as the father to avoid scandal. This friend just so happened to own a gym, and she was a frequent client. The fact that he was a hunk was a bonus for her."

"Biff Atlas—the so-called 'kind bodybuilder'?!" balked Luigi. "The guy was a real d—k to me! An arrogant d—k!"

"Well, of course it had to be someone with blond hair," said Gadd. "It would make the charade more believable. And when Neville eventually broke things off and returned to Lydia, Biff became—the rebound guy."

"Wow," murmured Luigi.

"Lydia eventually forgave Neville and offered to help raise the twins," Gadd went on. "Neville stayed in touch with Miss Petunia, however, sending her half his pay at the end of the month. And Miss Petunia and Biff's relationship lasted a long time, too, before they amicably parted ways. After that, she really let herself go, and that's why…"

"Those ghosts—have interesting stories," breathed Luigi, "but did Lydia fully forgive her husband? Perhaps she carried that resentment for years and maybe—arranged for 'the mistress' to get involved in an 'accident' before doing the same with her husband to collect on his life insurance policy…"

"You have quite the imagination there, Luigi," said Gadd.

"Maybe that's why Lydia became so vain," mused Luigi. "She wanted to remain pretty in Neville's eyes so he wouldn't cheat on her again."

"Try not to—overthink things, my boy," sighed Gadd. "Did you come across Nana?"

"Yeah."

"Nana and Lydia were good friends, and when the former discovered that Neville was sleeping around, she decided to play a little prank on Miss P. She rigged one of her showers so that it turned cold. Boy, was Miss Petunia _p—ed_."

Gadd and Luigi laughed.

"I also hear that Miss P got it on with Slim Bankshot," said Gadd.

"The pool player?" gasped Luigi. "D—n. She _really_ got around, didn't she?"

Gadd nodded.

Silence as the professor and the plumber enjoyed their meal. Then—

"I saw where they're keeping Mario," said Luigi. Leaning forward, he continued, "He was in an _altar_, inside a _painting_. Beaten, slashed, bloodied—in _hysterics_. Pounding on the canvas and screaming for someone to let him out. I saw him, and I…" He played with what was left of his potato. "Mario was always so confident and so _strong_. It occurred to me that I've never seen him helpless before—at least, not _this_ helpless. I mean, a month ago…"

Gadd nodded in understanding.

"I always thought he was without fear—and yet I saw naked terror in his eyes," Luigi went on. "And I honestly didn't think he expected anyone to come for him; I didn't know if he knew I was there. All I could do was just—reach out to him and promise to rescue him. This is—this is all my fault. I got him into this pickle because I fell for the Boos' tricks and asked Mario to meet me at a mansion I supposedly won! Why didn't I suspect anything?!"

"Luigi—why must you insist on punishing yourself?"

"Because when we were children, I made a vow," said Luigi. "That I'd always be there for him, to protect him, to defend him. When the big kids picked on me, he'd tell them to back off, and I'd do the same for him. One time, this stuck-up kid called Mario an awful name, and I practically tackled the boy and beat the snot out of him. It got me in detention, but I didn't care, because I was looking out for my bro."

"You can't be in two places at once," said Gadd, "and you can't protect him from everything."

"It won't stop me from trying," said Luigi. "Shortly after I found my bro in that altar, I encountered Boolossus. He, along with the Boos making him up, really hurt me, but I hurt them right back, even when they caught on to what I was doing. I would've ran all the way back home and jumped under my bed, if not for the thought of Mario in that picture frame."

"Then—I'd say you're keeping to your vow," said Gadd, "going through all of this to save him."

"I am," said Luigi.

He refilled his wine glass and took another sip.

"Easy there, youngster," cautioned Gadd. "You won't be any good to your brother intoxicated."

"Relax," said Luigi. "I have a very high alcohol tolerance." Raising his glass to the professor, he added, "Thanks for helping me get this far."

"We're not through the storm yet, though—just most of the way through," cautioned Gadd. "And as for King Boo's ally, this Koopa—I'm starting to get a sense of what he's like. Hardheaded and stubborn and lusting over a woman who told him 'no' repeatedly. Does _that_ remind you of anything?"

"Say that again," said Luigi.

"I can understand why he teamed up with King Boo to go after Mario. Sixteen years of being soundly defeated can really take its toll."

"That's an understatement," said Luigi. "When I saw Mario like that—I knew that all bets were off."

They finished their main course, and then Gadd levered out slices of rich, decadent chocolate cake for dessert, paired with French vanilla ice cream.

"You love your brother very much," Gadd said after a few heavenly minutes of savoring the dessert.

"I do."

"I see it in you," said Gadd. "You adore him—you look up to him—you're jealous of him."

Luigi spluttered on his ice cream. "H—how do you know that?" he demanded.

"I've figured things out in what you've said—and what you haven't said," Gadd explained. "I've played that video game based on your adventures a few times, back in the 80s, and I've wondered why you were relegated to the Player Two slot. I can only imagine how constantly being passed over for acknowledgement must've made you feel. How in conversations, Mario's name is likelier to come up first. Why—why haven't you talked to him about this?"

"It's not that simple," Luigi told him. "Telling him how I feel will make me come across as selfish, petty and entitled. Mario's the perfect hero, brave and strong and rising to the occasion. But that's not me. I'm none of those things."

"What if I told you that the role you play is more important than the role Mario plays?" asked Gadd.

Luigi hesitated, fork to his lips.

"Being a sidekick may not seem much, but you're doing more for your brother than you can ever imagine," smiled Gadd. "Time after time, adventure after adventure—you stand by him and have his back, even in the most mundane of situations—just like you've promised. Do you think he would've gotten so far without you?"

"No," replied Luigi. "He's told me so countless times."

"You matter, and your contributions matter," Gadd told him, "because you'll go out of your way to be the best brother you can be, regardless of the risks, as he'll do for you."

Contemplatively, Luigi slid another forkful of cake into his mouth.

"You hate ghosts, right?" asked Gadd. "Yet here you still are, fighting them. I—really didn't have a part in that."

Luigi blinked.

"I'm certainly _not_ forcing you to stay—if you took off running right now, then I wouldn't stop you," said Gadd. "Sure—I gave you the Poltergust, but the fact that you _stayed_ and _didn't_ run—that's all _you_, Luigi. Look at all these ghosts you battled! The especially frightful ones, like Bogmire and Boolossus—I'm sure they made you scream and yelp, but you kept on fighting! To me, _that's_ being brave and strong and rising to the occasion. And even if you didn't have the Game Boy Horror to communicate with me, then I _know_ you'd still find the courage and strength to push on!"

"For Mario," intoned Luigi.

"Yes! Yes, Luigi! For Mario! For your brother—for the one who grew next to you in your mother's belly, the one who's stuck with you ever since you entered this world! For him!"

"For Mario," repeated Luigi, a little louder than last time. "For Mario. For Mario!" He set down his cake and ice cream. "For my big bro! I—I can do this! I'm _gonna_ do this! I'm gonna fight Koopa, and then I'm gonna fight King Boo, and then I'm gonna free my bro from their villainous clutches!" Rising to his feet, he added, "Whatever it takes."

"Whatever it takes," said Gadd. "You're in the endgame now, Luigi. And in the endgame—anything can and _will_ happen."

"Dessert can wait," said Luigi. "I'm going back in there, and I'm not coming out until I save him." He grabbed the Poltergust 3000 and slid it back on. "If I don't come out, that means I perished in the attempt, and that's fine by me. I'd rather die than chicken out and leave Mario to this fate."

Luigi took one last swig of sweet wine, wiped his mouth and squared his shoulders.

"Hang in there, Bro," he said. "I'm coming for you. King Boo and King Koopa can just _try_ to stop me."


	19. Dark and Full of Terrors

Boosted by shrimp salad, filet mignon, baked potato, chocolate cake, ice cream and devotion and determination, Luigi marched back into the house of horrors, exchanging nods with Thad, Brad, Chad and Conrad as he passed them. He made one last stop in the boneyard to water that plant, which spat out coins, dollar bills and a priceless gem. His iPod was freshly charged and playing upbeat motivational music. Nothing was stopping him from getting to Mario now—nothing!

On the balcony where he'd fought Boolossus, Luigi paused at the door with a glowing blue diamond on it. The glow dissipated, but just as Luigi was about to unlock the door, there were several starbursts of lightning, and everything was rocked by a clap of thunder. All of the bright lights around him flickered—and then went out, leaving the man in green in inky darkness.

Not good. At all.

Luigi jumped when his GBH chimed.

"Hello?" he answered.

"What a calamity!" Gadd exclaimed. "The electricity has gone out!"

"That was a very big blast," said Luigi.

"It must've caused a blackout," said Gadd. "I can't see anything!"

"Well, that makes two of us," said Luigi.

"Now the ghosts will have the run of the place," warned Gadd. "Remember, the dark is their best friend."

Luigi was sweating now. "You don't have to tell me," he muttered.

"Be careful, Luigi," said Gadd before hanging up.

"Great—thanks for the tip," muttered Luigi. Gadd was at least safe in his lab, while _he_ was in the middle of this f—ing mess!

Sinister laughter warned him that he was no longer alone. Luigi grabbed the Poltergust and faced off against the attacking ghosts. After he managed to capture them, more spawned, and Luigi wisely decided to save his energy, unlocked the door with the diamond on it, and dashed inside, slamming the door behind him.

Since there were now ghosts in every room, Luigi knew that it was best to have both ears open. So, he turned off his iPod, pocketed it for later and hummed to himself as he crept down the dark hall. A ringing telephone spooked him, and he followed the sound into a telephone room.

This telephone room had three telephones, and the center one was ringing like crazy. Luigi figured that maybe he should answer it; that ringing would get annoying after a while. Slightly shaking, he picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"He-hello?" asked Thad's voice. "May I ask who's speaking, please?"

Luigi smirked. "It's Koopa!" he replied in a low, menacing voice.

"Oh, [bleep]!" yelped Thad, quickly hanging up.

Chuckling to himself, Luigi answered the leftmost phone as it started to ring. "Yes?"

"Wh—who is this?" Thad asked nervously.

"Sorry about that, Thad," Luigi apologized. "I just needed—a bit of levity."

"Luigi?"

"Yeah, it's me."

Thad laughed. "Whew! I didn't know what I would've done if a ghost had answered! Anyway, we have a terrible problem! The thunderstorm caused a major blackout! What should we do?"

"Just stay where you are and don't panic," Luigi said gently.

"The others and I are really, _really_ afraid of the dark," Thad explained. "Isn't there a way you can turn the power back on?"

"I remember seeing a breaker room in the basement," said Luigi. "Maybe there's a switch or something I can use to restore power."

"Hey! Wait a minute—I remember that too!" Thad said brightly.

One of the other phones began to ring.

"I'll call you back," said Luigi, hanging up and answering _that_ phone.

"Who's speaking, please?" he asked crisply.

"It's me, Professor E. Gadd!"

"Oh! Hey, Professor," said Luigi.

"I know I usually contact you with the GBH, but I thought I'd try this phone since you were in the room. You know that all ghosts avoid the light and hide in the dark?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Well, one ghost fled from the gallery and only hides in the darkest places," said Gadd. "His name—is Uncle Grimmly."

"Uncle Grimmly," repeated Luigi.

"If he's on the loose, then now may be your only chance to get him," Gadd told him. "Why don't you try looking for him before you get those lights back on? Might be wise…"

"Okay…" Luigi said warily.

"He's old for a ghost, but it's only made him more cautious," said Gadd. "I _do_ know, though, that for some reason he tends to prefer rooms with clothes and a mirror."

_The wardrobe room,_ thought Luigi.

"Oh, no—the ghosts are starting to approach your position!" Gadd exclaimed. "Step lively, Luigi!"

And then he hung up.

Giggling filled the telephone room as the door was sealed and the ghosts popped out of their hiding places.

Luigi brandished the Poltergust and stunned the nearest ghost, and then the fight was on. There were magenta ghosts, gold ghosts, blue ghosts. Big ghosts, tall ghosts, small ghosts, short ghosts. Grabbing ghosts and element-based ghosts. As lightning continued to flash and briefly cast shadows against the walls, Luigi was broiled in an all-out fight for his life. The only source of light was from his flashlight, and he could swear that its strength was weakening. He'd have to change the batteries soon.

He captured six ghosts before he was allowed to pass. And then an especially brilliant flash of lightning illuminated the walls. Luigi's stomach churned as he caught sight of his own shadow—hanging from a noose in the rafters.

Gasping, Luigi turned away, and the room once again went dark.

_It's another illusion_, he told himself. _Don't fall for it. Stay strong!_

He breathed a prayer for strength before walking out of the room.

Luigi then fought his way all the way back to the wardrobe room, ghost after ghost attacking and impeding him at every turn. Once or twice, he felt this minor twinge, trying to get him to write this off as a lost cause, but he resisted and pressed forward, hearing nothing except the laughing ghosts, the cackling Boos, his beating heart, his increasingly jittery and off-key humming and his brother's voice.

_Do it for him, _he silently exhorted, over and over. _Do it for him_.

By the time he finally reached the wardrobe room, Luigi was close to collapsing, but sheer will was keeping his knees from giving out. He found Uncle Grimmly, hovering before a mirror. Just—hovering there and staring at Luigi.

Luigi made a face at him and turned away, catching his breath and checking himself for injuries. Fortunately, he found nothing serious.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Uncle Grimmly raise his arms and stalk toward him, letting out a wail as he did.

Too bad that exposed his heart.

Luigi wasted no time stunning him, and they struggled all around the wardrobe room, Luigi's grip on the nozzle firmer than ever. Finally, Luigi captured Uncle Grimmly, and a blue chest appeared, containing a key which would hopefully unlock the breaker room.

He proceeded to the basement, fighting off more ghosts along the way. When he unlocked the door to the breaker room and entered, he saw the backup generator.

"Perfect!" said Luigi, throwing the switch and sighing in relief as light flooded into the room.

After another chest appeared, which contained another key, Luigi had to chase and capture a Boo with 200 HP. Only when that was done did he allow himself to slump against the wall, eventually sliding into a seated position.

His heart rate returned to normal. His breathing slowed. His shaking died down.

Luigi pulled out his iPod, turned it back on, put in one earbud and set the device to play his favorite playlist.

He smiled as the music began to play.

The antithesis of darkness was light, and sitting here, Luigi began to count the lights he presently had.

There was Mario's star, still glowing brightly in the safety of his pocket.

There was Professor Gadd, who rescued him, armed him and encouraged him in his own strange way.

Last but not least, there was Mario himself, still imprisoned in that portrait, praying for a miracle.

And Luigi would be that miracle.

He rose to his feet, took a deep breath and kept moving forward, the encroaching darkness tempered by the promise of light.

_I'm coming, Mario…_


	20. Turns Like Clockwork

Now that the power was restored, Luigi combed through the rooms he'd recently uncovered, sucking up every Boo he came across. These later Boos became harder to capture and had more HP, quickly darting through walls whenever he approached them. However, his GBH wasn't a liar, and when it started to beep, he kept his eyes peeled for Boo activity.

Following the mini Boo hunt, Luigi walked into the clockworks room, where brightly painted cuckoo clocks and other clock-related junk sat on the benches and tables. Some Clockwork Soldiers stood at attention in front of a giant dollhouse, and once Luigi activated all of the cuckoo clocks, they stiffly turned and marched toward him, attacking with their toy muskets. These muskets didn't actually fire bullets, but a cork-like structure attached to—something—which could push Luigi backwards and double him over. Thanks to their generally slow speed, however, Luigi could outmaneuver the four Clockwork Soldiers, using his vacuum to separate them from their windup valves so he could capture them. He tried to capture all four of them at once, since any who managed to escape the suction would try to come to their comrades' aid. Unfortunately, he had to settle for vacuuming up one at a time, since they were strong enough to break free.

After Luigi defeated the last Clockwork Soldier and captured yet another Boo, the door to the large dollhouse opened, revealing itself as a secret passageway to the roof.

On the roof, Luigi saw some Shy Guy Ghosts dancing around a campfire, and when he approached, they all tried to attack him with their pitchforks. Maintaining a safe distance, Luigi pulled off their masks before stunning and capturing them, shrugging off the pokes and swipes he took and vacuuming a Fire Elemental Ghost because you'll never know.

He was glad he did so—after defeating the Shy Guy ghosts, he had to fight several water-based ghosts. Using the fire element, he quickly depleted their HP before vacuuming them up. Upon subduing them, a chest appeared atop the leftmost chimney, which contained—you guessed it—a key.

But when Luigi scaled up the ladder to the rightmost chimney, however, he was dropped down a fireplace and into a sealed room filled with treasure chests!

Some of these chests contained various amounts of treasure, some were empty, and some concealed some tough and pesky ghosts! Granted, some of these ghosts dropped a few extra coins and bills, but still. Anyway, Luigi overcame them all, and after he'd opened all of the chests, the lights came back on, and he was rewarded with a key. He managed to leave the room by scanning the mirror with the GBH, which took him back to the foyer.

"Thanks for turning on the generator," said Thad. "I was just about to lose my [bleep] in the dark!"

"Me, too," admitted Luigi. "I had to take a brief break after restoring the power."

"Where are you off to now?"

"I need to find my way into the secret altar where Mario's being held," said Luigi, "and I just so happen to earn keys to locked rooms by defeating ghosts."

"Good luck!" chirped Thad.

Luigi smiled at the Toad before making his way to a sitting room. After using the fire element to light all of the candles, four gold ghosts attacked him. They landed some good blows on him before he managed to vacuum them up, and then he took on several ice-based ghosts, absorbing a water ghost from a nearby fishbowl to help him. He captured a Boo named Boolivia before proceeding into the guestroom.

This room was upside down, with Luigi walking on the ceiling and the bed and furniture above his head. A ghostly girl was asleep in the bed, murmuring, "Don't try to wake me—you'll regret it if you do…" According to the GBH, this was Sue Pea.

"I won't wet the bed—I promise," Sue Pea said in her sleep.

_Wet the bed—maybe I'll do that._

After refilling the water meter, Luigi lightly doused the slumbering Sue Pea. She sat up, staring at him, before quietly falling back asleep. But after Luigi doused her twice more, she came fully awake, glaring at him.

"I warned you!" she cried before summoning dolls to launch at him.

Luigi vacuumed up the dolls without much hassle before stunning the ghostly girl and wrestling her into the Poltergust. Upon her capture, a treasure chest appeared above him.

"How am I supposed to open that if the room is upside down?" asked Luigi.

He stalked out of the room, only to catch himself when he heard a rumbling noise.

"What in the Inferno…?" he uttered as he walked back inside to find the guestroom right side up.

_At least it solved _that_ problem._

The Boo Radar started flashing, and Luigi uncovered a Boo under the covers of Sue Pea's bed, which he handily captured. Then, he opened the green chest, which contained lots of treasure.

Before continuing on, Luigi checked in with Brad, Chad and Conrad.

"I'm close," he said. "I can feel it."

"You must've caught a lot of Boos," said Conrad. "I don't feel their presence as strongly anymore."

"Me, neither," said Brad.

"I—I have a favor to ask," said Luigi.

"Anything," said Chad.

"I think you all should meet up with Thad in the foyer," said Luigi. "It's more spacious, and it's the safest area in this mansion. And if anything should happen—then don't come back for me."

Brad's face paled. "You want us to abandon you?!" he cried. "Well, that's not gonna happen!"

"Do. Not. Come. Back. For. Me," Luigi said emphatically, and the Toads knew that he wasn't kidding around.

The three of them bit their lips but didn't object. However, they fired Luigi concerned looks before tottering off to the foyer.

"Don't look at me like that," he muttered after they'd gone. "I know what I'm doing."

Spinning around, Luigi dutifully headed back into the danger zone.

Mario's suffering was nearing its end…


	21. Voices Carry

"_Hush, hush, keep it down now—voices carry…"_

Softly, Luigi murmured the lyrics to the song currently playing on his iPod as he explored the mansion's armory. Ghosts were concealed inside of stone chests and old suits of armor, and they hummed along to the tune. But Luigi was wearing earbuds, so how could they hear his music? It made them all the more unnerving. And creepier.

He opened the chests and jostled the suits of armor to force the ghosts out of hiding, and he was dismayed to find that the majority of these spirits were grabbing ghosts. The man in green found himself grabbed, squeezed and flung around before finally clearing out the room. After that, he had to chase a Boo with 300 HP from the armory to the hallway and back until he managed to capture him.

His breathing was still a little heavy when he was inspecting the ceramics studio. One of the vases was frozen, and he took the opportunity to absorb an Ice Elemental Ghost. When one Elemental Ghost was around, it was usually a sign that Luigi would need it to either find a ghost or solve a puzzle.

"Hey! You there, with the moustache!"

Luigi jumped, nearly knocking over a vase. A small, purple ghost resided in one of the vases, regarding him curiously.

"Yes, you!" said the ghost. "What do you think of my jar collection? Pretty amazing, don't you think?"

"Yes," replied Luigi. "These are the most ornate jars I've ever seen."

"Why, thank you kindly," said the ghost. "However, we can't just let you look at them for free, now can we?"

As the ghost spoke, Luigi scanned him with the GBH.

"Don't worry, Jarvis," he said, "I can pay you."

"Pay me? You're too kind, but I have no interest in your money. I was thinking something along the lines of—a challenge."

Luigi tensed. "What kind of challenge?"

"I wanna see how handy you are with that ice," said Jarvis, "so, my challenge to you is this—freeze seven or more of me, and you can look at my jars for as long as you wish."

Luigi readied the Poltergust. "I accept your challenge."

Jarvis laughed. "This is gonna be fun!"

He disappeared into one of the jars, and Luigi moved to the center of the room, scanning the jars around him.

Jarvis popped out on Luigi's five o'clock, and the latter quickly pounced, freezing Jarvis with the ice element.

"That's one," Luigi muttered.

He spun around just as Jarvis emerged again, this time at the plumber's ten o'clock, and he blasted away with his ice.

"That's two."

Jarvis popped out at his eleven o'clock, only to be frozen a fraction of a second later. Keeping his eye on the jars, Luigi replenished his ice meter.

Jarvis began to appear and disappear faster and faster, testing the thresholds of Luigi's reaction time. But Luigi was also known for his speed—some said that he was faster than Mario when it came to certain sports. He tended to slip and slide a lot, and over time, he'd learned to turn that weakness into a strength. He just had to be careful not to slide into one of those jars, however.

"And—that's a wrap!" Jarvis said finally.

Luigi stood there, gasping, blood pumping, trying to anticipate the ghost's next move.

"Let's see the results," said Jarvis, pulling out a piece of paper. "I can't believe it—you caught seven of me!" He tossed the paper aside. "How could I lose?! You made me see red tonight, Mr. Moustache! Maybe you'd like to have one of these jars shoved up your [bleep]!"

Several jars levitated off the ground and zipped toward Luigi. He cartwheeled out of the way and turned to face Jarvis.

"Why are you so upset?" he asked. "You challenged me, and I won, fair and square!"

"Yeah, well—I didn't think you'd _win_!" seethed Jarvis.

"Why are ghosts such sore losers?" Luigi wanted to know.

More jars came Luigi's way, and he evaded them before stunning Jarvis and beginning to suck him up. Several jars hit the man in green, causing his grip on the nozzle to jolt and allowing Jarvis to wrest free. He tried to hide in one of the jars, but it wasn't that difficult for Luigi to uncover him and stun him again. For three minutes, Luigi and Jarvis battled it out, ceramic jars flying all over the place. And in the end, Luigi emerged victorious.

Luigi wiped his brow and then found a Boo hiding in one of the jars, chasing him all the way to the clockworks room before cornering and capturing him.

His current playlist ended, and Luigi put on another playlist before unlocking the door to the pipe room. Small, green ghosts lazily floated around, and he was almost instantly assailed by grabbing ghosts. He wrestled free of them before they could do significant harm and turned the tables, stunning and vacuuming them in droves. Once all of the grabbing ghosts were in the Poltergust, followed by a Boo, Luigi used his ice to freeze the stream, allowing him to cross to the other side of the pipe room and turn off the rushing water, for behind that rushing water was a blue chest, which he knew by now contained a key.

This key unlocked the door to the cold storage room, where everything was blue with ice. In addition to the slippery, icy floor, Luigi had to look out for precariously hanging icicles which could drop down on him at any moment. His breath hung in thick clouds around him, and he couldn't stop shivering. His only saving grace was a nearby Fire Elemental Ghost, and since fire melted ice—

After gaining the Fire Element, Luigi noticed a ghost encased in an ice block. The GBH ID'd him as Sir Weston, a ghost who loved the cold and hadn't "warmed up" to the concept of being a ghost. Those facts gave the plumber enough hints.

Luigi sneaked up on Sir Weston and saw the small piles of logs near the parka-clad ghost. A small smile played at Luigi's lips, and he used his fire element to ignite those logs, watching as the ice around Sir Weston slowly melted.

Wildly, Sir Weston glanced around and saw Luigi as the condensation dissipated. "Hey!" he cried. "You're making it too hot in here! I'm gonna cook in this heat! I'm gonna melt!"

_What a drama king_, thought Luigi.

"What in God's name were you thinking?!" bellowed Sir Weston. "People who start fires in this mansion had better be ready to pay the price! I have a good mind to teach you a lesson!"

Re-encasing himself in ice, Sir Weston began blowing large ice sheets at Luigi. He leaped aside, replenished his fire element and reignited the logs, which had been put out when Sir Weston reformed his ice barrier. The barrier then shattered, and Luigi quickly stunned the ice-loving ghost.

During the struggle, Sir Weston broke free five times and sent more ice sheets Luigi's way. When they hit, they'd send painful thrills down his nerves, followed by a brief numbing sensation. He'd even be encased in ice for a few seconds. But Luigi pulled back against the parka-clad ghost as hard as he could, not stopping or resting or folding until Sir Weston was captured.

After catching the obligatory Boo, Luigi was more than happy to leave the cold storage room, feeling the warmth quickly returning as he headed back toward the third floor, his music playing the whole way.

_Hush, hush, keep it down now—voices carry…_


	22. Can You Hear Me Running?

_"All right, class," said Mrs. Dawes, "would you like to tell me your favorite superheroes?"_

_ "Batman's my favorite!" said Colin._

_ "I like Captain America," said Myra._

_ "Mine's Superman!" laughed Brandon._

_ "Mine's Spiderman," replied Michael._

_ Dennis grinned. "I love the X-Men!"_

_ "And I love Wonder Woman!" trilled Sarah._

_ One-by-one, the students called out their favorite costumed heroes. The green-clad student, however, sat quietly with a small smile on his lips, carefully contemplating the answer he'd give._

_ "Luigi?" Mrs. Dawes finally called on him. "Who's your favorite superhero?"_

_ Luigi's smile widened. "My bro," he replied, indicating the red-clad student seated to his left._

_ Silence._

_ "But—he's not wearing a fancy costume!" A.J. objected._

_ "What makes you think you need a fancy costume to be a superhero?" Luigi challenged, sweeping his gaze over his classmates._

_ "Luigi's right," said Mrs. Dawes. "There are some superheroes who don't need tight costumes at all."_

_ "Mario doesn't have superpowers, either," said Francis. "In fact, he's just a…"_

_ Sharply, Luigi cut him off. "Batman doesn't have superpowers," he said pointedly. "Neither does Iron Man. They build the gadgets they need to save the world."_

_ "Impressive observation, Luigi," Mrs. Dawes told him._

_ "Most heroes have super speed, super strength, invisibility and whatever," Luigi went on, "but my bro doesn't need any of that stuff. He's super to me because I believe in him, and he has the power he needs right in here." He tapped his heart. "You guys can be heroes, too, by helping others the way Mario helps me. That's what heroes do, anyway—they help."_

_ The class began chattering among themselves._

_ "Police officers and firefighters help us, and they don't have powers," Evelyn volunteered._

_ "So do doctors and nurses," mused Colin._

_ "You've brought up some fine points for discussion, Luigi," said Mrs. Dawes, "but I'm afraid it's almost time for class to dismiss. However, for your homework tonight, I'd like you all to write one page about what you think are a hero's most important traits."_

_ "Does spelling and grammar count?" asked Barry._

_ "Doesn't spelling and grammar always count, Barry?"_

_ "By one page," Sybil piped up, "do you mean both sides of the paper?"_

_ "Only one side will do, Sybil. But extra credit will be given to those who do extra work."_

_ At least three pages were taking shape inside Luigi's head right now._

_ Mario raised his hand. "Mrs. Dawes?"_

_ "Yes, Mario?"_

_ "What Luigi said—goes double for me," said Mario. "He's _my_ hero, too."_

An unlikely hero was now treading the mansion's halls, Poltergust blazing, cleaning house and busting up this haunted zoo. Beneath a brown moustache was a tight, determined smile, bright blue eyes dangerously narrowed, an earbud dangling from one ear and tracing down to an iPod in his pocket. Luigi was so close; he could feel it. Mario's voice echoed through the air, quickening his steps. He couldn't afford to stall any longer—not as long as his big bro's life was on the line.

He unlocked the door to the artist's studio and saw several paintings of ghosts arranged in a semicircle. A ghost sat at an easel, surrounded by art supplies and paint, his brush dancing furiously across the canvas. Luigi scanned the ghost with the GBH, revealing him as Vincent Van Gore.

Van Gore paused and swiveled around to stare at Luigi. "It's you, isn't it? You're the one interfering with my afterlife's work!" he charged, speaking with a slight Dutch accent.

"What are you talking about?" asked Luigi. "I'm not interfering with anything."

"Don't play innocent with me, you filthy swine!" snapped Van Gore. "You're blind to the life I give my creations!"

Looking at the paintings again, Luigi suddenly figured it out. Van Gore was the source of the regular ghosts floating around this mansion! King Boo must've made him create these paintings to keep Luigi at bay while he and the other Boos got the jump on Mario. Was Van Gore in cahoots with him the whole time, or was he tricked or threatened into helping him? Luigi was inclined to believe that the former was the case.

"All right, then," said Van Gore. "I'll show you the mastery of my art!"

He pointed his paintbrush at the gold ghost painting, which slowly faded from the canvas. Luigi jumped as three gold ghosts materialized, but he recovered, lined them up and stunned them with his flashlight, vacuuming them with little difficulty.

The portrait of the purple ghost glowed before three purple ghosts popped out, one of them opening the fight with a punch to Luigi's face. He was sent staggering, and another purple ghost managed to land a body shot. Breathing through the pain and throbbing, Luigi stunned all three at once, winding up dragged a short distance as the three purple ghosts tried to escape in different directions. Eventually, however, he captured them.

Next was a trio of blue ghosts, who attacked by slamming their fists down on him. They were slightly harder to stun, and they could break free of the suction after a few seconds. But Luigi simply turned up his music and breathed, remembering the discussion in Mrs. Dawes's class about superheroes. How they could be anyone, and how they didn't have to be super, so as long as one believed in them. Mario smiling at him and telling him that he was his hero, too, believing that he could rise to the occasion even before the incident with Mitchell. Those memories allowed him to take the harder blows from these blue ghosts and then walk them off, stunning and vacuuming them in turn.

After the blue ghosts was a trio of red grabbing ghosts, followed by a trio of Shy Guy ghosts, a trio of green ghosts throwing banana peels around and finally a trio of long, purple ghosts who chucked bombs at him. But frayed nerves had long since become nerves of steel, and Luigi took them all on with a vengeance! The timid man in green constantly overshadowed by his elder brother had become a juggernaut, plowing through the trios Van Gore sicced on him with surprising aplomb and sucking them all into the Poltergust. Nothing could stray him from his ultimate objective—nothing! He simply refused to be tormented anymore!

Bruised, cut, sporting slight burns, sweaty and irate beyond belief, Luigi stared down Van Gore, who gawked at him for about several seconds.

"My—my creations!" he wailed. Then, his face and demeanor became eerily calm. "You were lucky tonight, green one. But even if I disappear, my work will live on. Art is eternal!"

"You get no argument from me there," said Luigi, seeing Van Gore expose his heart and flashing his light.

"Art however—shouldn't—attack people," he continued as he vacuumed away Van Gore's HP and sent him into the Poltergust to join his "creations".

The lights came back on, and Luigi found a Boo hiding among Van Gore's art supplies. Bracing himself against a drawer, Luigi managed to vacuum the Boo in one go.

A gold diamond appeared in the center of the room, followed by a key. But it wasn't any old key. It was _the_ key. The final key. The key that would take him to the Secret Altar where Mario waited! Laughing, Luigi grabbed the key, kissed it, and slipped it into his pocket before palming the diamond.

The GBH rang.

"Impressive!" cried Gadd. "All of the Boos have been captured! I can honestly say that I didn't expect you to get them all."

"Neither did I," said Luigi, wiping his brow.

"You really _are_ a true Boo master!" gushed Gadd. "Now, all that remains is for you to get your brother back."

Luigi's heartbeat quickened. He was about to face off against the King of all Boos. Who knew what sick tricks he'd pull to keep Mario for himself?

"I'm sure you'll be just fine," Gadd said softly, "but be careful all the same."

"Thanks, Professor," Luigi said softly, sending Gadd the Boo's data.

_I'd better check on the Toads before I confront King Boo_, he thought.

Thad, Brad, Chad and Conrad were chatting quietly among themselves when Luigi arrived at the foyer.

"Luigi!" exclaimed Brad. "You look like Hell! Maybe you should take a break!"

"I'll take a break after freeing my brother," said Luigi. "I just wanted to tell you guys that I found a way into the secret altar." He held up the key.

"Whoa," Conrad breathed.

"You seem surprised," said Luigi.

"Well—we didn't…" said Thad.

"You didn't—think I'd make it this far? How come?" asked Luigi.

"Well—these ghosts aren't like the ones in the movies. They won't exercise restraint because you're an amateur," offered Chad.

"Do you really think I'm not aware of that?" asked Luigi. "But there must be another reason why you didn't think I'd get to this point."

All four Toads exchanged looks.

"Did you—really think I'd bail on my own flesh and blood? He _needs_ me. King Boo and his ilk are doing God-knows-what to him in there, and he's _depending_ on me! He told me himself that I'm his hero, just as much as he's mine, so do you _actually_ believe that I'm gonna abandon him to save my own [bleep]?"

"Luigi, if I may…" said Brad.

"Every time I check on you, you've given me these concerned, pitying looks, and now I know why," said Luigi. "You expect me to lose my nerve at the last possible second—well, sorry to disappoint you. Because that's not happening. I'm going into that secret altar, I'm gonna fight Koopa and King Boo, and I'm gonna bring Mario home—or die trying."

"We know you won't bail on him," Chad said carefully. "We're just—worried about what will happen."

"There's no need to worry," said Luigi. "I'm a big boy. I know how to swim."

"Mario has faith in you," said Thad, "and so do we. Good luck, and may God be with you."

"Thank you, Thad," Luigi said quietly.

He turned on his heel and started back down the hall, gripping the key so tightly that it left an imprint on his palm.

"I'm coming, Big Bro," he whispered. "Hold on. Hold on. Hold on…"

**The woods are lovely, dark and deep**

**But I have promises to keep**

**And miles before I go to sleep**

**And miles before I go to sleep**

—**Robert Louis Stevenson**


	23. Pro Fratre

Walking down the dark corridor to the secret altar, the moment seemed surreal. It was as if the universe was somehow in slow motion save for him. The most mundane sounds were amplified by a million, from the soles of his brown suede boots striking the marble floor to his own voice humming and the ghosts humming along with him. With each step Luigi took, a cold, foreboding feeling manifested itself in his gut and squeezed his bowels. His heartbeat was through the roof, kicking against his ribcage as his Adam's apple kicked against his neck. Pausing in his trek, he took another look at the key he'd earned after his fight with Van Gore. This was it, and he didn't know what awaited him at that altar, but he'd meet it all the same.

The door to the secret altar glowed yellow, a glow which disappeared when Luigi arrived. And at that doorway, Luigi suddenly couldn't move as he heard a deep, throaty, sinister cackle. _Dio_, he was sweating as if he was standing in New York City on a humid summer day. He was once again sorely tempted to turn around, flee to the MK and declare Mario a lost cause. It would finally give _him_ a time to shine, anyway. Luigi shook his head, chiding himself for thinking so selfishly, inserted the key in the lock and slowly turned it.

"I don't plan on giving up my favorite decoration. No—I like Mario _exactly_ where he is."

Luigi's stomach stopped churning, the grip on his bowels disappeared and everything stopped as those words sent a blaze of anger into his soul.

"For Mario," he declared, yanking open the door and determinedly marching inside.

And he was promptly greeted with a horrific sight.

Mario looked _significantly_ worse than when he first saw him in that painting. One eye was swollen shut, and his nose looked broken, blood seeping from both nostrils and from his mouth, as well. Sweat was cleansing the blood from his face, but that just allowed Luigi to see the awful bruises spattered all over it. Mario's iconic cap was knocked out of place and his hair was disheveled, strands of it stuck to his forehead. Bloody bite marks joined the cuts and slashes all over his body, and Luigi especially didn't like the way Mario clutched his side. Presently, the man in red was screaming curses, insults and threats at King Boo, who simply floated before the artistic prison, so close that they practically touched, leering sadistically at him and making mocking faces, taking visible delight in the sight of Mario bashing his fists against the canvas to no effect.

"Ahh—I could just stare at my Mario painting for hours," King Boo said with a pleasured sigh. "It's true what they say about fine art—it takes utterly refined sensibilities to truly appreciate it! The way you rant and rave and shout things that would make that guy from _Full Metal Jacket_ blush, Mario—I find it so—_arousing_. Perhaps that's merely because I remember how much trouble you've caused me in the past—or perhaps it's just because you're _that_ good-looking."

Closing his eyes, King Boo gave Mario's painting a slow, sensual upwards lick as the red-clad plumber recoiled in disgust. Luigi watched, fists clenched, quietly steaming.

"But seriously," King Boo continued, "Who would actually believe that mansions are given away in contests? Talk about stupid!"

Luigi gazed deeply into Mario's eyes. _Mario, I got you into this. I'm sorry…_

"What do they feed you Mario Bros anyway, gullible soup? But it all worked out for the best—at least for me!" He laughed as he lovingly caressed his "prize" with slow, repeated circular motions, trailing his appendage along Mario's face and upper torso as he did. "Your brother came all this way just to get turned into a painting. Ah, yes—getting to look at such a manly man every day will suit me just fine. However…"

King Boo turned around and smiled wickedly at Luigi.

"…this Mario painting looks lonely. I must have a Luigi painting, as well! Then, my gallery will truly be complete!" King Boo punctuated his monologue with a truly chilling, menacing cackle.

Luigi's jaw was set as he raised his Poltergust and leveled it at King Boo's face, hearing Mario breathe his name. The elder brother's palms were now pressed against the glass, his beaten face alight with hope, watching the man he'd always believed in stand his ground against his captor.

"I'm not afraid of you!" said King Boo. "I only fear that infernal Poltergust 3000 you carry on your back! Stupid machine! But I'm a KING among Boos! I swear that I shall fear no mere housecleaning device! I must say—I despise the way you SHWEERRPP-SHLOOOORP-WHOOORPP-SHELEEEOOORG-vacuumed up all my friends! Don't imagine that I'll flee—I'll fight you like a true Boo! Now join your brother—inside the painting!"

King Boo cackled once more as the painting behind him slowly morphed into that of a familiar reptile. He flew inside, and seconds later, an invisible force dragged Luigi toward it as well.

"Mario!" he cried as he was sucked into the canvas.

"Luigi!" he heard Mario call back.

The man in green landed on what appeared to be the mansion's roof, surrounded by writhing orange flames. As far as he was concerned, he'd been dropped into the Inferno itself.

"Mario?" Luigi exclaimed. "Mario, can you hear me?!"

"Watch out!" Mario's voice shouted.

BOOM!

Something heavy crashed onto the ground, nearly tumbling Luigi off his feet. He regained his balance and found himself staring into the smirking face of the Koopa King himself! Madame C's predictions had come true!

His and Mario's longtime foe blew a stream of fire at him, but Luigi cartwheeled out of the way. He had _some_ idea of how to defeat Koopa—three double-footed stomps to the crown of his head should do the trick. King Boo, however, would be the most difficult of the dastardly duo.

Luigi's eyes narrowed as he thought about what could happen should Koopa beat him. King Boo would probably turn Mario over to the _tender_ mercy of his archnemesis once he'd had his fun—yes, he'd be _that_ sadistic. Then, Koopa would make Mario watch as he conquered the MK once and for all, installed himself on the throne and took Peach as his queen. And even worse—he'd hang the painting on the wall of his bedroom so that Mario could watch that reptile _take his rights_ with his new queen, just to really hammer in the fact that he failed. Finally, Luigi pictured all of the Mushroom Defectors, Koopa Troopas, Hammer Bros and all of Koopa's generals—the enemies Mario had once thrashed, lining up for _target practice_ and taking their _sweet revenge_—

What remained of Luigi's apprehension evaporated, quickly replaced with cold fury. _No one_ would do that to Mario on his watch. Shouting a battle cry, Luigi dashed forward.

Wait a second—

Something was up.

Koopa moved a little more—awkwardly—than usual. Stiff and almost robotic. He kept clutching his head, as if—adjusting it. And then he summoned spiked balls—Koopa never summoned objects like that during a fight.

There was something not quite right with this picture.

"Hey, Luigi!" Mario's signature falsetto voice was so optimistic now, coming from seemingly everywhere. "Do you trust me?"

"Absolutely," replied Luigi.

"Okay—then what if I told you—that's not Koopa at all?"

"Something _does_ seem off," said Luigi.

"Try to catch one of those spiky balls," said Mario, "and you'll see what I mean."

Koopa—if that was really him—rolled the spiked balls in Luigi's direction. Thinking fast, Luigi turned on the suction and snagged the nearest ball. The ball began to flash red, so Luigi had to aim quickly and carefully—and he knew just where to aim!

"Fire in the hole!" Mario commanded, and Luigi did just that, launching the spiked ball at Koopa's head.

The head blew off on impact, and Luigi would've freaked out had he not seen that there was no blood. Seconds later, a dazed-looking King Boo floated out of the "body".

Mario was right—that wasn't Koopa! It was King Boo controlling a robotic suit in Koopa's likeness! _That_ was why Madame C had seen Koopa.

Luigi wasted no time gawking, however. He ran forward and let loose with the Poltergust, beginning to deplete King Boo's HP. As King Boo struggled against the vacuum, the Koopa "head" fired ice balls at him. Luckily, Luigi could evade the projectiles by angling his body and leaning out of the way while maintaining the suction.

"You've got this, Luigi!" Mario's voice cheered.

King Boo jerked hard, jarring Luigi's grip. As Luigi recovered himself, King Boo retreated into the Koopa suit, the head reattaching to the body.

The man in green took cover behind a pillar as the Koopa mech belched out another gout of fire. But now that Luigi knew that it was just a suit, he knew how to take his opponent down. He broke cover once the Koopa mech summoned more spiked balls and rolled them forward. And again, Luigi vacuumed the nearest one and shot it right back at him, knocking off the head and exposing the King of all Boos.

"If you're so confident, then how come you're fighting me in a suit?" challenged Luigi.

"Because," King Boo replied, "I made this suit just for you."

"Don't engage," Mario's voice warned. "He made that suit to break you, because he knows that Koopa's one of your greatest fears. Don't give him what he wants, Luigi!"

"I won't," Luigi promised in a steely tone as he rocked back on his heels, keeping the Poltergust steady.

A full minute later, King Boo escaped and glared daggers at Luigi. Luigi glared right back.

"You're getting on my nerves," snapped King Boo.

"I have a knack for that," Luigi coolly replied.

"Not anymore," King Boo said ominously before floating back into the Koopa mech.

The Koopa mech let out a roar before slashing his claws, Luigi dancing and dodging about. Mario's voice shouted to him as he did his best to evade the Koopa mech's strikes. But then, the mech made a fist and slammed it into his opponent's midsection, sending him skidding a few inches.

"Bro!" exclaimed Mario's voice.

Luigi swept his legs around and hopped up. "I'm okay," he said, long since learning to disregard the pain.

Breathing in steady beats, Luigi lanced the Koopa mech with another death glare. "I'm okay," he said again, more defiantly.

The Koopa mech sent more spiked balls toward him, but Luigi simply caught one of them, and as the mech charged like a bull, Luigi released the ball, knocking the head away and exposing King Boo for the third time.

He let the Poltergust rip without any prelude, his tongue dancing fiercely over his upper lip, keeping himself braced against a pillar in a way that took most of the stress off of his midsection. He breathed through the pain and doubt. He concentrated on Mario's voice as it began shouting encouraging words in Italian. He barely even flinched as the ice balls encountered the pillar inches from his head.

"_Non mollare, Luigi! Ho fiducia in te!"_

No. He wouldn't give up. He couldn't. As long as Mario was in harm's way, he wouldn't stop fighting, not even against a vengeful adversary!

King Boo violently broke free of the suction and gave Luigi a baleful look.

"My friend told me all about you and Mario when he first decided to ally with me and my brethren," he snarled. "He told me how the two of you repeatedly humiliated him and kept him from what was rightfully his."

"The Mushroom Kingdom doesn't belong to him, and neither does its ruler!" Luigi shot back. "Your 'friend' is a vicious, sadistic, lustful tyrant!"

The offended look on King Boo's face was almost comical. "You take that back!" he exclaimed.

"Well, _you're_ the one with a crown on your head," Luigi said bravely. "Why don't you make me?"

"Okay, you asked for it!"

King Boo flew back into his mech, attacking with murderous rage and intent. He belched fire, slashed with his claws, punched and tried to suck Luigi into his jaws like a monstrous version of a certain pink Star Warrior. He grabbed at the plumber, squeezing and slamming him back down or throwing him into the nearest pillar. And he kept trying to hit him with those spiked balls. But Luigi could take the most devastating attacks and get right back up, fueling King Boo's rage.

"Your brother humiliated my friend," King Boo charged as he and Luigi were locked in a deadly game of tug-of-war, "and now, I'm gonna humiliate _him_. A just punishment, don't you think?"

"Not as long as _I'm_ alive," spat Luigi.

"So be it," King Boo said ominously.

_Do it, Bro. Show this a—hole who's boss._

King Boo dove back into his mech, only to put the "head" on backwards. Luigi stayed quick on his feet as the Koopa mech charged blindly, the tail lashing out like a whip. Putting on the mech's head backwards was likely an intentional move on the King's part, for the tail's strikes were practiced and precise, landing hits across Luigi's shoulders, face, abdomen and back. Mario's voice cursed King Boo out whenever the whip-like tail hit its mark.

_Don't worry, Mario. It'll take more than that to break me._

Finally, the Koopa mech turned its "head" to its proper place, and the cycle began anew, white-hot fire illuminating the battlefield as the heavy spiked balls clanged and rolled on the ground. Whenever they flashed red, Luigi knew to stay away and try to snag another ball next time, his patience always paying off as a ball sometimes landed directly in front of him. And Luigi would launch that ball at the Koopa mech's face to force King Boo out, and then he'd train his trusty Poltergust on him and _pull_. Pull as hard as he could. Pull and listen to his brother's voice. Pull—and breathe. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out.

Breathe in—breathe out.

Breathe in—breathe out.

Breathe in—

_Keep going, Lil' Bro._

Breathe out—

_You've got this. I know you do._

Breathe in—

_Don't let him win, Luigi._

Breathe out—

_I'm counting on you._

Breathe in—

_You're a survivor._

Breathe out—

_You've always been a survivor._

Breathe in—

_Luigi—Luigi—you're so cool—_

Breathe out—

_Luigi—_

Breathe in—

_Don't. Give. Up. Ever._

Breathe out—

**Please R&R.**

**This story will have three separate endings, a bad ending, a bittersweet ending and a good ending. I plan to post all three endings at the same time tomorrow.**

**It's the first time I wrote a story with multiple endings...**


	24. Fratellino Perduto (BAD ENDING)

**Content warning for blood and character death!**

Luigi could taste his own blood. It dribbled into his mouth, tangy and sweet and coppery at the same time. He paid it no mind, however, gripping the Poltergust's nozzle so tightly that it hurt—and he ignored _that_ pain, too. The only thing on his mind was the wretched King Boo, and getting him into his vacuum so he'd never again terrorize another innocent soul.

But it didn't look good. King Boo fought hard—and dirty. Luigi's continued resistance to him only made him angrier, causing him to attack more savagely. As a result, the man in green was just as bruised and slashed up as Mario, maybe more. The pain was harder and harder to ignore, but he _had_ to try.

Now, Luigi had King Boo out of the protective confines of his Koopa mech, once again vacuuming him up, concentrating hard. The sadistic King's HP was about halfway depleted—making him an enemy with nothing left to lose, the most dangerous enemy by far. His glowing violet eyes seared into Luigi as the struggle went on.

"You really think you can defeat me?" hissed King Boo.

"It's worth a try," Luigi steadily replied.

"Why bother? When all of this blows over, you'll once again be in the role of the second banana," King Boo taunted.

"I don't give a d—n," said Luigi, "because he's my _bro_. And he's worth fighting for."

He could feel Mario smile as he spoke those words.

"I'm not giving up on him," Luigi went on, "and you—can't—make me."

King Boo cackled. "We'll see about that," he said.

He tore himself free and dove back into his mech, raising his claws. Luigi moved fluidly from pillar to pillar, flipping and rolling and dodging and cartwheeling, as the claws slashed and sliced. Upon observation with the naked eye, nobody would know how pained and fatigued he was.

_Why don't you pick on someone your own size?_ He heard Mario snap at his captor.

"Seeing your suffering makes me happy," King Boo replied. "In fact—I don't think you've suffered enough…"

_No. You wouldn't dare—Luigi, be careful! He's gonna—_

Luigi, fortunately, was ready for the spiked ball coming at him, snagging it in his vacuum and running toward the mech. As the mech bent down and roared in his face, Luigi released the ball, knocking the head and body sprawling in different directions.

"You made my bro _suffer_," Luigi said as he brandished the Poltergust and turned it on King Boo. Calm anger oozed from his body, the kind of anger more potent than white-hot rage where the voice was soft and the manner was as polite as ever. "Now—it's _your_ turn to suffer."

He braced himself against a pillar marred with claw marks and scorched from the mech's fire breath, yet still standing. Luigi wasn't surprised—this was probably due to Boo magic. But he wasn't really worried about that right now.

King Boo regarded the royally p—ed off plumber with an amused look. "_My_ turn to suffer," he repeated. "Is it, now?"

The mech's discarded body suddenly came back to life, the tail poised like a snake waiting to strike.

_No—no—NO!_ Mario's voice screamed.

Luigi was fast.

The mech's body was faster.

Searing pain exploded as the tail harshly speared through Luigi's left knee. Luigi gasped, and his eyes watered, but King Boo wouldn't hear him scream. Nor did his grip on the Poltergust waver.

"Hm," King Boo said casually. "I thought that would do the trick."

"You thought wrong," spat Luigi.

"So I did," said King Boo as the tail ripped itself out of Luigi's knee.

Deftly, Luigi shifted his weight to his good leg, preventing his injured leg from collapsing under him.

"Make this easy on yourself and on your brother," said King Boo. "Surrender now."

"Never," growled Luigi.

"Have it your way," growled King Boo.

The tail struck again, driving through Luigi's other knee. Grunting, Luigi sagged against the pillar he was braced against, but he still didn't let go of his vacuum. On the contrary, he focused his remaining strength on his arms and upper body.

King Boo shook his head. "You just don't know when to quit, do you?" he asked.

"I can do this all day," Luigi bravely replied.

_That's my bro._

"Well, unfortunately for you—_I DON'T HAVE THAT LONG!_" bellowed King Boo.

The tail lashed out twice more, impaling Luigi through his left shoulder, and then his right. But Luigi gripped the nozzle even tighter, even as his arms started to shake from the effort.

_Don't give in, Luigi! You're stronger than him! You're better than him!_

King Boo just laughed that horrible laugh. "Think again, Mario," he said ominously.

And then the mech's fist collided with Luigi's gut with a horrific _crunch_. The air left Luigi in a rush, his limbs turned to jelly, and the Poltergust spun from his fingers, allowing King Boo to break free.

_Luigi?! Oh, _Dio, _no. Luigi!_

Luigi fell to the floor in a heap, holding his side, blood spilling from his mouth. King Boo grinned down at him as he struggled to pull himself back up.

"Now this—is more like it," he said.

_Luigi, get up!_ Mario's voice screamed. _For God's sake, get up! Please!_

Frantically, Luigi grabbed for the Poltergust's nozzle, but the mech stomped on it with an oversized foot, and then stomped it several more times for good measure, crushing it beyond repair.

"You fought well, Luigi," said King Boo as he floated toward the man in green, "but to no avail. If it makes you feel any better—Mario didn't go quietly, either. But of course, you already saw _that_."

"You'll never…" Luigi started to say.

A hammy fist smashed into his face, knocking him onto his back. His vision started going in and out of focus.

"I believe you're in no position to make threats," King Boo said gleefully. "Not anymore."

The mech stomped hard on Luigi's torso. Agony shot through his nerves, and he couldn't take it anymore. A scream erupted from his lungs.

_Stop it! Stop right now!_

"You don't give _me_ orders, _Super_ Mario," snickered King Boo.

His mech stomped Luigi again, and then yanked him up by his shirt collar before driving punch after punch into him.

Luigi's ears rang, but he could still hear Mario scream.

"Enough," King Boo finally said in a passive tone.

The Koopa mech dropped Luigi back to the floor.

"You really thought _he'd_ rescue you?" King Boo sardonically asked. "Boy, do you have an egg on your face now."

_Luigi…_

"M—Mario…" Luigi whispered. "I'm—I'm s-sorry…"

"Some brother _you_ turned out to be," King Boo mockingly said. "During these last few moments of your pathetic life, I want you to know that my friend and I are setting our sights on your beloved fantasyland next—and every Toad will know that their ruin is all—your—fault."

King Boo was now eye-to-eye with Luigi, smoothing his hair with one appendage and delicately adjusting his cap. All Luigi could do was give him a purely loathing look.

"I could fry an omelet on your forehead right now if I wanted to," cooed King Boo, "but making omelets will have to wait."

Tears began to trail down Luigi's cheeks, and King Boo licked them.

"Mario—my Big Bro…"

"Shh…" King Boo said gently, in a faux-comforting matter. "You mustn't worry about him anymore. My reptilian friend and I will take _good_ care of him."

_Luigi, no!_

"I'm sorry, Mario…" murmured Luigi. "I'm so sorry…"

"The three of us," gloated King Boo as he floated toward his mech. "We're gonna have one Hell of a time!"

Mario was absolutely hysterical now, screaming and pleading with King Boo, the pleading eventually giving way to a flurry of swear words in both English and Italian.

King Boo laughed as he reentered his mech, the eyes beginning to glow a menacing yellow. The mech then towered over Luigi, slowly raising one mighty claw.

"Now say good night, you pathetic green failure!" King Boo uttered in morbid joy.

Mario's name left Luigi's lips one final time.

And then—the claw came arcing down.

The last thing Luigi ever saw was the face of his brother's mortal enemy.

The last thing he ever heard—was Mario's voice, frantically screaming his name.

**…**

**Eighteen years later…**

"And I'll just need you to sign right here," said the real-estate agent, producing a document on a clipboard.

"Okay," said the young woman, carefully reading through the paperwork before signing her name with a flourish on the bottom line. "Will that be all?"

"Yes ma'am," replied the real-estate agent, handing the young woman a card. "Should anything come up, be sure to give me a call."

"Will do," smiled the young woman.

The real-estate agent gave the young woman a folder full of paperwork. "For your records."

"Of course," said the young woman, tucking the folder under her arm.

"Welcome to your new home," grinned the real-estate agent.

"Thank you," said the young woman.

With that, the real-estate agent gave her all of the keys she'd need, and the new owner of the mysterious mansion in Boo Woods turned to haul her luggage inside.

"Just so you'll know," warned the real-estate agent, "they say that this mansion…is _haunted_."

The young woman laughed. "I'm not afraid of any ghost," she said, "but thanks for the heads-up."

She unlocked the door and disappeared into the mansion.

The real-estate agent watched her go, his violet eyes sparkling with almost childish delight as a sinister smile wormed its way onto his lips.

**…**

Later that night, the young woman was fast-asleep in her new bed when a strange noise jolted her awake.

"What on Earth?" she muttered.

She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, grabbed her flashlight off her nightstand, clicked it on, and went to investigate.

There was the noise again. But it wasn't just a noise—it was a voice.

"Hello?" the young woman called.

The voice came again.

_"Mario…?"_

"Is—is someone there?" asked the young woman.

_"Mario…Mario…?"_

The young woman tiptoed down the hallway, barefoot and wearing her nightgown. That voice, echoing around her, sounded so vulnerable and so frightened—

_ "M—Mario…?"_

"Who's Mario?" the young woman wanted to know.

She reached the end of the hallway and turned right—

_And then she saw him._

A ghost of a man dressed in a green shirt with navy coveralls, a green hat with a "L" on it on a head of wavy, chocolate-brown hair. On his back was a mysterious, red contraption. Judging by the nozzle in the ghost's hands, it appeared to be some sort of vacuum. The ghost's face was tearstained, his eyes a brilliant blue, and under those eyes were slight bags, signifying that he hadn't slept in God knows how long.

"Uh—hello?" the young woman cautiously greeted.

The ghost jerked around to look at her, startled.

"Oh! H-hi," he said. "You—you must be the new owner."

"I am," said the young woman. "The real-estate guy even told me this mansion was haunted. But—you seem like a nice ghost."

"There are others here," said the ghost. "Others not as nice as me. And they have my brother!"

"Your brother—his name is Mario?" asked the young woman.

The ghost nodded.

"I've heard stories," mused the young woman. "Stories about two brothers who wound up trapped in a haunted mansion, and one of them died trying to save the other…"

"My name's Luigi," said the ghost. "What's yours?"

"Amelia."

"Nice to meet you, Amelia," said Luigi. "But—I think you've been lured into a trap—just like me and Mario."

"Hey," said Amelia. "I can handle a few ghosts. They can't frighten me."

"These are more than just a few ghosts, Amelia," said Luigi. "These are _Boos_. Powerful ghosts that can cast illusions, and they use these illusions to psychologically torture their victims. They may look cute with their small, white bodies, but beneath lies a heart of darkness. In fact, you're inside of an illusion right now—this mansion."

"Whoa," breathed Amelia. "But—_you're_ real?"

"Yes," said Luigi.

"Say—what's that nifty little contraption on your back?" asked Amelia.

"This is the Poltergust 3000," replied Luigi. "I used this to fight the ghosts and try to save my brother. But—I let him down…" Tears came to his eyes. "When we were kids, I vowed to always have his back. I broke that vow. And I was so close to rescuing him!" The tears became full-blown sobbing.

Luigi's ghost slumped against the wall, face in his hands, sobbing deeply with regret.

"Hey," Amelia said softly, slowly walking up to him.

She carefully drew him into her arms.

"Look at me, Luigi. Look at me."

The green-clad ghostly plumber obeyed, his eyes red-rimmed and swollen.

"It's all right," Amelia soothingly told him. "Everything's gonna be all right."

"R-really?" sniffled Luigi.

"Really, really," said Amelia.

She withdrew the embrace and held out a hand to Luigi.

And Luigi took it.

"Let's look for your brother, shall we?" Amelia brightly asked.

Luigi wiped his tears, looked into Amelia's eyes and gave a determined nod.

"We'll look for him together."

**Good night…**


	25. You Can Rest Now (BITTERSWEET ENDING)

**Content warning for blood and character death!**

Luigi could taste his own blood. It dribbled into his mouth, tangy and sweet and coppery at the same time. He paid it no mind, however, gripping the Poltergust's nozzle so tightly that it hurt—and he ignored _that_ pain, too. The only thing on his mind was his brother and the need to free him from the wretched clutches of King Boo.

So far, the outlook was iffy for Luigi. King Boo fought hard—and dirty. Yet Luigi fought even harder, the evil king's increasingly vicious tactics only making him more determined to defeat him. He'd depleted about half of the sadistic king's HP, but it was no excuse to slack off, as King Boo had now become an adversary with nothing left to lose, the most dangerous adversary by far. But Luigi would beat him. He knew he would—and so did Mario.

Now, Luigi had King Boo out of the protective confines of the Koopa mech, once again trying to vacuum him up and dodging the ice shots from the mech's head. The man in green was bruised, slashed up, and sweating—and he was also someone with nothing left to lose, making him more than able to hold his own against the King of all Boos. He concentrated hard, his blue eyes meeting King Boo's violet eyes as the struggle went on.

"Why, Luigi?" King Boo demanded of the plumber. "Why, why? Why do you do it? Why—why get up after everything I throw at you? Why keep fighting? Do you actually believe you're fighting for _something_? For more than your survival? Can you tell me what it is? Do you even _know_?"

"I know," said Luigi, dodging another ice shot, "but I don't have to tell _you_."

"Yes, you do, d—mit!" snapped King Boo, "because I don't really see the point in all of this! Why are you still here—what have you got to prove? What are you fighting for, Luigi? For your brother—the very brother who reaps all of the benefits of heroism while leaving you in the dust? Could it be for love—the familial love between two brothers? Illusions, Luigi. Vagaries of perception—temporary constructs of a feeble human intellect trying desperately to justify an existence that's without meaning or purpose. And all of them as artificial as the mansion itself, although…" He scoffed. "…only a human mind could invent something as insipid as love. You must be able to see it, Luigi. You must know it by now. My power is too great. You can't win. It's pointless to keep fighting. So—why, Luigi? Why? Why do you persist?!"

Luigi took a breath. "Because I choose to," he replied, feeling Mario smile as he spoke the words. "You can throw whatever you'd like at me—but I swear to God, I _will_ take you down."

_That's my bro_.

King Boo cackled. "Oh, we'll see about that," he said.

Tearing himself free of the suction, King Boo dove back into his mech, raising his claws. Luigi moved fluidly from pillar to pillar, flipping and rolling and cartwheeling, looking for an opening, battling back the pain and creeping fatigue as the claws slashed and sliced.

"Impressive," King Boo said mockingly.

The mech's hammy fist collided with Luigi's torso with a nightmare-inducing crunch. Luigi sprawled against the pillar, but he pulled himself up as the mech stomped toward him.

"You just don't know when to quit, do you?" spat King Boo.

"I can do this all day," Luigi spat right back.

King Boo giggled like a child at play. "Then I'm _really_ gonna enjoy this," he said, unleashing a huge gout of fire.

Luigi flung himself behind another pillar, stubbornly giving no thought to his throbbing torso. The Koopa mech attacked again, yanking Luigi from his hiding spot, gripping him by his shirt collar and punching him once—twice—three times-until he didn't know which way was up.

"How do you like me now?!" bellowed King Boo, throwing Luigi down hard enough to make him bounce once.

Luigi's body screamed in protest as he stood right back up, shaking his head to clear it and leveling the Poltergust. In response, his opponent summoned more spiked balls and flung them towards him like bowling balls.

Fortunately, Luigi was ready for the attack, snagging one of the balls in his vacuum, running forward, and launching it back at the mech as it bent down and roared in his face. It was a clean hit, sending the head and body sprawling in different directions.

Fire was in Luigi's eyes as he brandished the Poltergust and turned it on King Boo once again, Mario's voice continuing to cheer him on. He kept his aching body braced against one of the pillars. All of those pillars were scorched from the mech's fire breath and peppered with claw marks—yet they were still standing. Luigi wasn't surprised—this was probably due to Boo magic. But that was the least of his worries.

_My bro's whipping your [bleep], King Boo!_ Mario's voice sang out. _What do you think of _that_?_

King Boo gave Luigi a malevolent look. "Your dear brother has a mouth on him," he said ominously, "but he won't be talking such trash after I've finished with you."

"And when _I'm_ done with you," Luigi crisply replied, "you won't terrorize another innocent soul again!"

"Innocent? Hardly," said King Boo. "He spent the past sixteen years humiliating my reptilian friend. So now—I've humiliated _him_. I can't wait to see the look on Koopa's face when he sees my handiwork."

King Boo tried to yank Luigi off-balance, but the man in green yanked right back. Calm anger oozed from the plumber's body, the kind of anger more potent than white-hot rage where the voice was soft and the manner was as polite as ever.

"You made my bro _suffer_," Luigi said coldly. "Now—it's _your_ turn to suffer."

"Is it?" King Boo retorted.

_Luigi, look out!_

Fortunately, Luigi saw the discarded mech's body come to life, wrenching himself about as the tail tried to skewer him. The mech raised its tail again, only for Luigi to jerk King Boo directly into its trajectory, using him as a shield.

"Very clever, Luigi," sneered King Boo, "but haven't you forgotten—Boos can't be harmed via conventional means!"

The tail struck viciously, first impaling Luigi's left shoulder, and then his right before delivering a stinging slash across his body. Luigi gasped, his grip on the Poltergust slipping, allowing King Boo to escape.

Luigi cursed as King Boo fled back into his mech and belched out another wave of fire. He just barely managed to dart out of the way.

_Luigi—_

"Don't worry, Mario! I'm gonna beat him!"

He stifled a scream as the mech's claws raked across his face and chest, and he found himself grabbed and repeatedly smashed against pillars before being slammed into the floor. The mech then belly-flopped toward him, but Luigi shook off the pain and rolled out of the way. The mech crashed hard to the ground and didn't move. And Luigi got to his feet, ran over and kicked the head as hard as he could, knocking it away and exposing King Boo.

"Why won't you die?!" hollered King Boo.

"I'm not gonna die," Luigi told him. "Not tonight."

"I'll be the judge of that," hissed King Boo.

Now, King Boo had a quarter of his HP left. Luigi pressed his lips together and gave the battle all he had left.

_You're close, Lil' Bro,_ breathed Mario's voice. _You're close. Keep pushing…_

And that's what Luigi did, sweat and blood rolling down his skin, digging in his heels. Imprints of the nozzle's ridges were on his palms, but he didn't care. He just wanted Mario out of that portrait and in his arms.

"That's _it_!" King Boo screamed with rage, violently breaking free of the Poltergust. "I have had _enough_ of your [bleep]!"

_Language!_ Mario's voice chided.

Growling, King Boo dove back into his mech and stomped after Luigi, the tail whipping furiously through the air and landing hits on the plumber's face, limbs, stomach and back. He was nearly blinded at one point! But Luigi evaded the worst of the blows until the mech once again summoned those balls. His arms started trembling with effort as he skillfully snagged a spiked ball and aimed carefully.

But then—a clawed hand shot out and grabbed him!

_Luigi! No!_ Mario's voice exclaimed.

The Koopa mech lifted Luigi, Poltergust and all, off the ground and towards its "face". And then it began to squeeze. Tightly. Pain crashed over Luigi in an all-consuming wave as air began to escape him. Grisly cracking and crunching echoed throughout the battlefield as the mech savagely squeezed Luigi like a human stress ball. And the mech's head tilted back slightly, revealing King Boo's expression of morbid enjoyment as his mech continued to _crush_ Luigi from the inside.

"Look into my eyes, Luigi," he snarled. "I'm gonna _watch_ as you _die_."

Mario's voice was praying aloud now.

"You might as well start praying to me, Mario," giggled King Boo. "I'm holding your brother's life in my hands now!"

The mech squeezed even harder, Luigi's breath shortening into feeble gasps.

But—

There was something King Boo didn't know.

So eager was he to witness his mech slowly crush Luigi to death, he failed to notice that the spiked ball was still attached to the Poltergust.

Through hazy eyesight, Luigi saw that he now had a perfect shot.

With another defiant battle cry, he launched the ball at the mech's tilted-back head, blowing it cleanly off the battlefield.

Now, summoning all of the strength he had left, Luigi let his Poltergust rip and didn't let go, even as the mech grabbed him with another clawed hand and squeezed harder than ever before, dealing out unimaginable pain. His vision grew hazier and hazier, and he was coughing up blood, but it only compelled him to grip his vacuum tighter and tighter, resisting the pain, resisting the urge to quit so late in the game.

"No!" howled King Boo. "That's not possible!"

A final battle cry tore from Luigi's lips as he drained the last of the vile king's HP and wrestled him into the Poltergust.

"THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE!" shrieked King Boo as one last push sent him into the Poltergust 3000 where he belonged.

There was a gratifying _pop_ as King Boo was sucked in. The mech's grip on Luigi slackened, and it collapsed to the floor like a useless marionette, releasing the man in green as soon as it hit the ground. Drawing in deep breaths, Luigi crawled out of the opened palm and lay there in a heap for several seconds. The crushing pressure was gone—but the pain remained.

King Boo's crown clattered down loudly beside Luigi, who weakly scooped it up and slid it into his pocket.

"Mario…" he whispered.

He closed his eyes, and then opened them, finding himself back in the Secret Altar. Mario's portrait still hung on the wall, palms pressed against the frame as he drank in his rescuer's condition.

"Luigi…"

Luigi dragged himself to his feet, limped toward Mario's portrait and removed it from the wall. He hugged the painting to his body as he knees folded under him, and he sat there, beaten and spent, hot tears rolling down his face as he clutched the portrait of his brother.

Voices outside. Then, the four Toads burst into the room, their eyes widening when they saw Luigi.

"Oh, my God!" shouted Thad, rushing over to Luigi's side. "Luigi!"

He and Brad helped Luigi to his feet, supporting him with their weight. Chad caught Mario's painting as it slipped from Luigi's fingers.

"We got in touch with your new friend, Professor Gadd," said Thad. "We'll take you to him."

Conrad grabbed Luigi's legs and draped them over his shoulders, and they hastily carried Luigi out of the mansion and toward Gadd's lab, Chad cradling Mario's painting as he followed close behind.

Thad flung open the doors to the lab, his friends helping him carry Luigi inside. "Professor!" he shouted. "We've got him!"

Gadd arrived on the scene, his face draining at the sight of the bloodied man in green. "J—s C—st!" he shouted. "What happened?!"

"King Boo—he—he…" stammered Chad.

"Put him in the spare bedroom," Gadd commanded, and Conrad, Thad and Brad carried the wounded plumber in that direction.

"I have Mario," said Chad, holding up the painting.

"I can reverse the Portrificationizer to free him," said Gadd, "but that'll take a while. Put him with Luigi in the meantime."

Thad, Brad and Conrad eased the Poltergust from Luigi's back as they gently lowered him onto the bed. Chad placed Mario's painting beside him.

"He's hurt—badly!" exclaimed Brad. "That b—d practically shattered his ribcage! And he's bleeding! And…"

Gadd walked briskly over to Luigi, whose vision was slowly going in and out of focus.

"Professor…" whispered Luigi.

"Save your strength," said Gadd. "We'll empty the Poltergust for you, and then I'll reverse the machine and get Mario out of that frame."

Luigi nodded.

Gadd faced Thad. "Do you see the slot on that machine?" he asked.

Thad nodded.

"Attach the Poltergust's nozzle to that slot," he said. "That'll empty the vacuum."

Quickly, Thad obliged as Brad, Chad and Conrad gathered around Luigi. The plumber had both arms wrapped securely around Mario's painting. His eyelids began to flutter.

Gadd was on the phone, having dialed 9-1-1.

"Hello?" he said. "My name is Professor Elvin Gadd, and I'm located in Boo Woods. There's a badly injured man at my location, and I need an ambulance right away."

Luigi moaned.

"Hey. Stay with us. Stay with us," said Conrad. "The Professor's getting help right now."

"Thank you. Please, hurry," said Gadd. "We'll be waiting."

He turned to the others. "The paramedics are on their way," he said.

The four Toads thanked God.

"What did he do to you?" asked Brad.

"He—squeezed me—really hard—and it hurt," Luigi said painfully, "but I got him. I got him…"

"Yes, you did," Elvin said soothingly. "I'm going to fix the machine now, all righty? Just hang in there. You'll get your brother back soon."

Delicately, he coaxed Mario's painting from Luigi's arms before dashing toward the Portrificationizer.

"Stay with us, Luigi," Thad pleaded. "Stay with us. Think about your brother, okay? Think about Mario. He's safe. You're gonna see him again."

"Mario…" whispered Luigi. He was so tired, and he wanted nothing more than to go to sleep. But he needed to see Mario's face. He needed to know that he didn't fail.

"C'mon, Luigi—stay with us!" entreated Thad as the other Toads began to weep. "You're gonna make it. You _have_ to!"

"I—it—it's okay, Thad," Luigi managed to say. "It's okay. It's okay—I beat King Boo. I beat him and faced my fears. I saved my bro…"

"Oh—no, no, no, no! Luigi, please!" wailed Thad. "D—mit, where are those paramedics?!"

"No—paramedics," mumbled Luigi. "It's—probably—too late—anyway…" He coughed, and blood spurted from his mouth and nose, which Thad gently wiped away.

"Oh, God in Heaven…" Brad muttered brokenly.

Luigi continued to drift in and out of consciousness, his body wracked with agony. King Boo had _really_ done a number on him. But Luigi had managed to stop him, and that was all that mattered.

"Luigi…Luigi…"

"Hm?" he asked, fighting to stay awake.

"Hey, hey." Thad gently tilted his head up. "Look who's here," he said.

Luigi's eyes fluttered open.

Gadd was at his bedside, trying his hardest not to cry. And next to him—

"Mario," Luigi joyfully uttered.

"Luigi!" cried Mario, battered but finally free from his artistic prison.

"_Mario…"_ Happy tears poured down Luigi's face.

"I'm here, Luigi. I'm here…"

"You're—okay," said Luigi, cupping Mario's cheek with one hand. "You're—actually—okay. I—I—did—it…"

"Yes, you did," smiled Mario. "You saved my life."

Luigi sobbed quietly.

Mario turned to the four Toad retainers and Gadd. "Leave us," he said quietly.

The five of them nodded and withdrew, closing the door behind them.

Mario slipped into bed next to Luigi, carefully wrapping his arms around him. And Luigi curled up against his big bro, returning the embrace, the two of them snuggling together—just like they did when they were children. Luigi's head was pillowed on Mario's chest, the sound of his steadily drumming heart soothing him as the elder brother sifted his fingers through the younger's hair. Nothing else mattered now—he'd done what he'd promised himself he'd do.

"Bro? Lil' Bro…"

Luigi looked into Mario's eyes.

"I'm gonna be okay," Mario told him, fighting to keep his composure. "Do you hear me? I'm gonna be okay."

Relief replaced the pain on Luigi's face, and it spread through his body like balm. Mario was going to be okay. He didn't have to fight or fret anymore.

Mario brushed Luigi's hair behind his ears, holding him close and giving him as much love as he could.

"You can rest now," said the man in red.

Having lost the strength to speak, Luigi looked at Mario—and smiled. His body relaxed, and the pain began to fade.

The last thing Luigi ever saw was his brother's face, smiling warmly at him.

The last thing he ever heard—was his brother's voice, telling them that everything would be all right.

**…**

Mushroom Park is undoubtedly one of the largest parks in the Mushroom Kingdom. It's a good place to relax, socialize, drink in the fresh air—and it's the perfect place to rendezvous in the aftermath of one of Koopa's—"visits".

Nowadays, in the center of the park, you'll find a large fountain constructed from special, rust-proof silver, the ideal backdrop for selfies—and a go-to area for remembrance, reflection and introspection.

You see, that fountain's centerpiece is a statue of a man, clad in an iconic shirt and coveralls, sporting an equally iconic moustache and a cap with a "L" emblazoned in the middle. This man stands straight, tall, confident—with a vacuum on his back. Not any ordinary vacuum, mind you—but the Poltergust 3000, the brainchild of one Professor Elvin Gadd. One hand holds the Poltergust's nozzle over one shoulder, and the other hand rests on the man's hip. This is a man who made a vow—and kept it to his last breath.

Every October, a man in red visits the fountain, bearing a bouquet of flowers. He sets down the bouquet and spends a few moments kneeling in prayer. Then, he rises, sits at the fountain and stays there until sunset, as if keeping vigil.

And maybe he _is_ keeping vigil.

Should you ask that man about the one standing in silver atop that large fountain in Mushroom Park, then he'll look at you and reply:

"He was my little brother, and I owe him my life."

**End**


	26. No Mountain High Enough (GOOD ENDING)

**Content warning for blood and violence.**

Luigi could taste his own blood. It dribbled into his mouth, tangy and sweet and coppery at the same time. He paid it no mind, however, gripping the Poltergust's nozzle so tightly that it hurt—and he ignored _that_ pain, too. The only thing on his mind was his brother—and the need to free him from the clutches of the wretched King Boo.

So far, the advantage continued to swing back and forth between the headstrong plumber and the Master of Illusions. The former was truly a force to be reckoned with, thanks to his trusty ghost vacuum and his resourcefulness. However, the latter began to battle him with the ferocity of someone who had nothing to lose—the most dangerous adversary by far. Luigi might have depleted close to half of the sadistic king's HP, but King Boo was still fighting hard—and dirty. If he wanted to win, then he needed to be careful.

Once again, Luigi forced King Boo out of the protective confines of the Koopa mech, dodging the ice shots from the mech's head as he turned the Poltergust on him full-blast. He was bruised, slashed up, sweating and in all-over pain—but he was concentrating hard. His blue eyes met King Boo's violet eyes as the life-or-death game of tug-of-war went on.

"Even if you defeat me, it's your loss," taunted King Boo. "In spite of everything you've done—eventually, you'll go back to being in Mario's shadow. Why bother?"

"Because," Luigi said evenly, "he's my brother—and I'll live and die for him."

King Boo snickered. "So be it," he said ominously.

With a violent jerk, he tore himself free of the Poltergust's suction and dove back into his mech.

Fluidly, Luigi dodged among the pillars as the mech's claws swiped and slashed, remembering to breathe—even as the mech belched more gouts of fire at him. A hammy fist connected, sending him sprawling, whereupon a claw slashed him hard. But Luigi rolled to his knees and stood, Poltergust raised, eyes narrowed.

"You just don't know when to quit, do you?" asked King Boo.

"I can do this all day," snapped Luigi.

"Oh, we'll see," cackled King Boo.

The mech summoned more spiked balls and rolled them at his opponent, who casually snagged the nearest one, took careful aim and fired it back at its master. The impact sent the mech's head and body toppling in different directions.

Luigi yelled out a wordless battle cry and lunged, catching King Boo in the vacuum's suction for the umpteenth time.

_Oh, yeah! You're doing it, Luigi!_ Mario's voice happily exclaimed. _Can't you see, King Boo? Your magic has nothing on a brother's loyalty!_

King Boo smirked at Luigi. "That brother of yours—he has a mouth on him," he said, "but he won't be talking all of that trash once I'm done with you."

Luigi didn't take the bait. Instead, he kept his body braced against one of the pillars, scorched from the Koopa mech's fire breath and pockmarked with scratches from the claw swipes. The other pillars were in similar condition, too—yet they were still standing. Boo magic, perhaps? Probably. However, that wasn't Luigi's top priority right now.

"Your brother humiliated my reptilian friend," King Boo went on, "so now, I've humiliated _him_. And after I deal with you, I'm gonna humiliate him further. How's that sound, _Luigi_?"

Luigi just stared at the vile king, calm anger oozing from his limber body. It was the kind of anger more potent than white-hot rage, where the voice was soft and the manner was as polite as ever.

"You made my bro _suffer_," he growled, remembering the beaten and bloodied state he'd found Mario in. "Now—it's _your_ turn to suffer."

_That's my bro._

Out of the corner of his eye, Luigi spotted the discarded mech's body come to life, dodging the tail as it tried to skewer him. Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough to evade an ice ball, which struck him in the side, temporarily immobilizing him.

Laughing, King Boo escaped into his mech.

"Your situation is hopeless!" he crowed. "Surrender now!"

Luigi broke free of the ice. "Over my dead body," he spat.

"Your proposal is acceptable," cackled King Boo.

The decisive final battle raged on, Luigi taking many a stunning blow but still getting back up. Even after the Koopa mech inflicted a nasty leg injury, Luigi still stood. He wouldn't give in—wouldn't surrender, wouldn't bow.

Over the Koopa mech's roaring, stomping and slashing, Luigi heard Mario's voice, still shouting encouragement in Italian and English, telling him over and over that he knew his lil' bro could beat King Boo. There was such hope and strength and confidence and—and _relief_ in his voice, and in it, Luigi felt additional energy, like a firebrand, circling around him. Mario transferred as much of his strength as he could to Luigi through their brotherly bond, like multitudes of electric signals, motivating him to keep fighting on. And so—as Luigi battled the King of all Boos, armed with nothing but the Poltergust 3000 and his wits, he silently repeated four words over and over and over again.

_Do it for him._

A slash caught him in his right shoulder.

_Do it for him._

Another slash ripped into his left shoulder.

_Do it for him._

The tail ripped across his abdomen.

_Do it for him._

Then it plunged into his already-injured leg.

_Do it for him._

The tail wrapped around his ankle and yanked him off his feet, dragging him about the battlefield and slamming him repeatedly against any hard surface in sight.

_Do it for him._

He found himself dangled upside-down in front of the Koopa mech's smirking face. A mighty fist rocketed into him, sending him back to the floor.

_Do it for him._

Glaring at the Koopa mech, Luigi tightened the Poltergust's left strap, not caring if he agitated the wounds in his shoulder. In his mind, he could see a younger Mario being belittled and humiliated by Mitchell, and for a few seconds, he was once again nine years old, rushing to his brother's defense after hearing the big bully call Mario that _name_—

_Mrs. Dawes had collected the students' homework assignments, arranged in a neat stack on her desk. Now, she turned to the whiteboard, took a black marker and wrote in big, block letters: WHAT MAKES A GOOD HERO?_

_ When she called upon her class for suggestions, most of them tossed out ideal physical qualities. Luigi sat at his desk and listened, eyes shining._

_ "Luigi? What do you think makes a good hero?" asked Mrs. Dawes._

_ "Good heroes put others before themselves," he replied._

_ "You are absolutely right," said Mrs. Dawes, writing the word "selfless" on the whiteboard._

_ "Don't they have to be brave, too?" asked Dennis._

_ Luigi bit his lip. "Not really," he said._

_ "Why not?" asked Mrs. Dawes._

_ "Being a hero isn't the same as being fearless," said Luigi. "I'd like to think—that heroes have fears, too. And part of being a hero is learning to overcome those fears."_

_ His classmates whispered among themselves._

_ "You've brought up another good point, Luigi," said Mrs. Dawes. "However, we'll have to wait until later this afternoon to discuss it further."_

_ "Wow, Bro—you're at the top of your game!" laughed Mario._

_ "Th—thanks, Mario," blushed Luigi._

_ "Settle down, class," said Mrs. Dawes, all-business. "Please, take out your textbooks and turn to page 38."_

Returning to the present, Luigi dodged another stream of fire, caught another spiked ball and fired it at the Koopa mech, exposing King Boo.

_Do it for him,_ he thought as King Boo's eyes spewed venom. _Do it for him. Do it for him. Do it for him._

_ Do—_

_ It—_

_ For—_

_ Him._

By now, the nozzle's ridges were imprinted into Luigi's palms, but he was past caring. Every muscle in his body was pushing itself past threshold, and still he breathed, keeping his foe in the suction as long as he could.

"As long as one man stands against you," he said, "you have no chance of winning."

"Bold words for a scaredy-cat," hissed King Boo.

He broke free and leaped back into his mech, trying to attack Luigi as the latter darted and cartwheeled out of reach.

"I may be easily frightened sometimes," said Luigi, "but love is more potent than fear. And I believe in love."

A large spiked ball barreled toward him, but he caught it in his vacuum without missing a beat, firing it back at the Koopa mech.

_Luigi…_ Mario's voice breathed as Luigi turned the Poltergust on King Boo once more.

"Bro—I'm here," whispered Luigi.

_You can do it, Lil' Bro,_ said Mario's voice. _You—can—do—it. Just hang on. Can you do that for me, Luigi? Just hang on. Hang on—_

His body was begging him to quit, but he refused. The finish line was up ahead. He _had_ to keep going!

_I believe in you, Luigi._ Mario's voice was soothing and calm. There was nothing for him to fear anymore, and both Bros knew it. _I've always believed in you—I hope you know that._

"I do, Mario. I do."

_Remember the day I had to face off against DK to save Pauline?_

"How could I forget?"

_Well—on that hot, summery afternoon, as I scaled that skyscraper to get to them, I saw you in the crowd. That's what kept me climbing. And—you shouted something to me. Do you remember that, too?_

"Yeah. I told you to weaken the I-beams once you were a safe distance away."

_I did just that, Luigi. And it helped. _You_ helped me avert a crisis that afternoon, Luigi. And it's you who inspires me to be the best I can be, so I can catch you when you fall, so I can make you laugh when you're sad, so I can stick up for you when someone tries to badmouth you. You may not know it, and you may not want to believe it, Luigi, but you made me the working class hero I am today. And now, when I'm in a situation where there's seemingly no hope, I look to you. You kept me from breaking under this tyrant's torment, kept me strong through the hours I spent stuck in this Hell-hole. So—I know you can do it, Luigi. I know you can beat him. And no matter what may come between us, I'll _always_ believe in you. Always._

Luigi's heart swelled upon hearing those words.

_Go get him, Luigi_, Mario's voice bravely stated.

When King Boo escaped the vacuum's pull and dove back into his Koopa mech, Luigi didn't despair. He knew just the way to finish this fight. And it just so happened to be one of Mario's favorite finishing moves on the real Koopa!

Luigi took cover behind a pillar to avoid a blast of fire and then ran up behind the Koopa mech, catching hold of the tail and wrapping his arms around it. Grunting with effort, Luigi hoisted the Koopa mech several centimeters off the floor and began to swing it round and round in a tight circle. Slowly at first—and then faster and faster and faster and faster and faster still as Mario's voice whooped with glee. Finally, Luigi heaved the Koopa mech forward with another grunt, sending it crashing hard into one of the roof's chimney stacks, the head skittering a yard and a half from the body.

Luigi's grip tightened on the Poltergust as King Boo tumbled out the mech, sporting a dazed expression.

_Time to finish this, Luigi_, said Mario's voice.

_I'm with you there, Mario!_

The man in green ran at the dazed king, hitting him with the most powerful suction he could muster. King Boo struggled and swore at Luigi, but alas, it was all in vain.

Luigi's face was tight as King Boo's HP finally hit zero.

"_Nobody_ messes with my bro," he declared. "Not—even—you!"

The Master of Illusions gave Luigi a mocking half-salute as the suction finally overcame him. And with a gratifying _pop_, he was sent into the Poltergust 3000 where he belonged, the nozzle kicking back slightly in Luigi's hands at the wonderful moment of capture.

Only the king's bejeweled crown remained.

Luigi picked it up and examined it for a bit before tucking it into his pocket. Then, he watched as the Koopa mech slowly collapsed into a useless heap.

Twirling the vacuum's nozzle a few times, Luigi struck a cool pose. "Yeah! I did it, Bro!" he cried. "I did it for you—for you—for you…"

_I knew you could, Lil' Bro. I knew you could…_

Mario's voice sounded tired, and he gave a big yawn.

Luigi closed his eyes and let out a breath. When he opened them, he was back in the Secret Altar, which was now brightly lit.

The Game Boy Horror began to chime, and Luigi quickly answered it.

"Luigi!" cried Gadd. "You did it! Truly remarkable, my boy! I supplied the Poltergust 3000, but you ran with it all the way to the top!" He sniffled a little. "You made me so—proud!"

Luigi waited for Gadd to compose himself before speaking.

"King Boo—licked the canvas of Mario's painting," he said. "Then, he pulled me inside the frame, and I wound up on the mansion's roof. And he—jumped into a mech bearing Koopa's likeness. I guess that's what Madame C saw in her visions." There was a slight choke in his voice, which he promptly shoved away. "It was no doubt one of the _most_ unnerving fights in my life. King Boo in his Koopa suit—threw spiky balls which exploded if I didn't move away quickly enough. He tried to—suck me into his jaws. He punched at me, slashed with his claws and blew fire…" Now, it was Luigi's turn to compose himself. "He hurt me, but I hurt him right back. I sucked up one of the spiky balls and launched it at Koopa's head—that's how I found out that it was just a suit. Those were some pretty big balls, too. You could say that—King Boo's big balls were his undoing." He chuckled slightly.

"Well," said Gadd. "Tonight you showed me that you have bigger balls than King Boo."

"Mario's voice was what kept me going," Luigi said softly.

"In all my years of ghost research," said Gadd, "I've never heard such a fantastic tale. And that career spans more than six decades, mind you. Why—I still recall starting out as a youth who trembled at the mere _thought_ of a ghost—TREMBLED, I tell you!"

"No—way," gaped Luigi. "_You_ were afraid of ghosts, too?"

"Indeed. But I conquered my fear, just like you," Gadd said proudly. "That, however—is a story for another time. Grab your brother's painting, and bring him back to the lab."

Luigi turned toward Mario's painting, and his heart leaped in his throat when he saw his brother slumped over—until he heard him snoring and muttering about various pasta-based foods.

"The poor little guy's fallen asleep," chuckled Gadd. "He must've just collapsed with relief and exhaustion when he saw you arrive. I'll get the machine ready to return your brother to his rightful state, shall I?"

"Okay," said Luigi.

"I'll be expecting the both of you." On those words, Gadd hung up.

Luigi walked up to Mario's painting, and with great care, removed it from the wall.

_You're safe now, Mario. Safe—with me._

Laughing triumphantly, Luigi raised Mario's painting over his head. Tucking the portrait under his arm, Luigi walked out of the Secret Altar and didn't look back.

Thad, Brad, Chad and Conrad's mouths hit the floor when they saw Luigi emerge, battered and bloodied but with his mission accomplished.

"Oh, my God!" shouted Thad. "He did it! He actually _did_ it!"

They cheered and grabbed each other for a wild group hug before crowding around Luigi.

"Thank God you're alive," said Brad. "Peach will be overjoyed to know you're safe."

Luigi smiled at them. "Wanna head over to my new friend's lab with me?" he asked.

"Why not?" asked Conrad.

Taking a deep breath, Luigi pushed open the front door and exited the haunted mansion for the last time, the four Toads happily skipping after him.

And he didn't look back then, either.

**…**

Gadd was waiting for Luigi when he limped back inside the lab, Mario's painting still under one arm.

"Good God!" he exclaimed, wringing Luigi by his free hand. "King Boo really worked you over! We'd better get those wounds looked at, and fast!"

The four Toads helped Luigi into the study and onto the nearest couch. Instantly, the plumber flung his other arm around Mario's painting, and he pressed his cheek against the canvas, murmuring comforting words to his brother.

"Luigi—I need to take him now," Gadd said gently, reaching out toward Mario's portrait.

Reflexively, Luigi jerked it out of the professor's reach, glaring daggers at him.

"Don't you want your brother out of there?" Gadd patiently asked.

"Of course," said Luigi.

"That can't happen if I don't have his painting," said Gadd. "I'm going to put him into the Portrificationizer—but in reverse."

Nodding, Luigi eased Mario's painting into Gadd's arms. "Take care of him," he entreated.

"Of course," said Gadd.

Thad helped Luigi shrug off the Poltergust, and then Brad, Chad and Conrad helped him tend to the plumber's injuries. Rubbing alcohol, a few stitches, ice, bandages and heated cloths did the trick, but nothing could soothe Luigi's restlessness.

As soon as the four Toads finished their ministrations, Luigi slid the Poltergust back on, strode toward the window and glanced out. And he couldn't believe what he saw.

"I'll be d—ned," he muttered.

"What?" asked Chad.

"The mansion," Luigi explained.

The Toads, and eventually Gadd, joined Luigi at the window, watching as the mansion slowly faded away, becoming more and more transparent until only its outline remained. And then the outline was gone, too.

It was as if the property had never existed.

"The mansion was an illusion, remember?" asked Gadd. "The second you captured King Boo, you weakened the Boos' magic, causing all of their illusions to fade to nothing."

"I—beat King Boo," said Luigi. "I beat King Boo. _I beat King Boo_." The more he said those words, the more he actually believed them.

"Over the course of a single night," said Gadd, "you've discovered more about yourself than you could ever imagine."

Luigi blinked. "One night?" he asked. "_Dio_—it felt like forever."

"Even though the mansion has disappeared, the treasure you've earned seems real enough," Gadd continued. "I have no interest in such things, so—finders keepers, I suppose."

"Wow—okay," said Luigi.

"I know you're desperate for your brother back," said Gadd, "but first, we have to take care of these last ghosts you've captured."

Luigi rolled his eyes. "Of course," he said.

He limped over to the Portrificationizer, emptied the Poltergust into it and stood back while it did its work. Then, he flopped back onto the sofa, where Gadd offered him a Subway sandwich.

"You must be hungry," said the elderly professor.

And he was.

Once all of the ghosts were turned into paintings, Gadd set about reversing the Portrificationizer so that it would turn Mario's portrait back into Mario. As he worked, Luigi devoured the Subway sandwich and finished off the bottle of Moscato. When he was finished eating, he ventured into the gallery, where he gazed intently at the portrait of King Boo and Koopa. The dastardly duo was rightfully backdropped by swirls of fiery-red orange, the Master of Illusions positioned at the far-left corner, facing his reptilian friend and ally. Slight tremors passed through Luigi's body as he recalled that brutal final battle.

Gadd quietly entered and joined him in studying the portrait. "A coin for your thoughts?" he asked.

"King Boo was _thisclose_ to having his way," said Luigi. "If I hadn't been fast enough, strong enough, _brave_ enough…"

"But you were," said Gadd, "and you beat him. Why fuss over what would've been?"

"Because he was more vengeful and sadistic than any other villain Mario and I faced," Luigi explained. "I don't even know what else King Boo and his minions did to Mario back there, and I think it should stay that way. But—when he fought me, he was playing on my greatest fears. Each fight with that turtle is imprinted in my mind. What gets to me more than that, though—is the thought that he wanted to watch me die alone, hurt and scared in an unfamiliar place, where nobody could hear me scream."

He breathed shakily. "Seeing him trapped in this frame, he still unnerves me. I'm still gonna see his face in my dreams. But…" His voice steadied. "…I want to look at him, and I want him to look at me—and I want him to know, that I, a 'scaredy-cat', was the one to end his reign!" His eyes flashed as he jabbed a finger at King Boo's portrait. "Do you hear me, King Boo?! I got you, and I got your minions, and I got your ghost friends! You hurt me, you made me bleed, you left me bruised and bandaged and limping—but you didn't stop me from freeing my bro, because I made a vow! And no disturbing illusions or spooky ghosts or haunted mansions will compel me to break that vow." His voice dropped to a venomous whisper as he concluded, "So you can take that—and shove it."

Gadd laid a hand on Luigi's shoulder. "Way to tell him," he said.

Luigi slid his thumbs along the Poltergust's straps. "I guess—I'll have to return this to you now," he sighed.

But Gadd shook his head and smiled. "Keep it," he said. "You need it more than I do."

"You—really think I'll need to use it again?" asked Luigi.

"Anything is possible," Gadd responded. "The Portrificationizer is ready. Let's get your brother out of that painting, shall we?"

Luigi smiled hugely, and he and the professor walked out of the gallery.

**…**

With bated breath, Luigi watched as Gadd started the machine and Mario began to go through the portrification process backwards. Judging by the little yelps and hollers Mario gave, the affair caused _some_ discomfort, but even as Luigi winced a bit at the sounds of said discomfort, he knew that it was a mere flu shot compared to whatever King Boo had subjected him to.

THUNK!

Mario was unceremoniously deposited on the other side of the machine, letting out a muffled grunt.

Luigi stood there, a little uncertainly.

"Go on," said Gadd. "It's okay."

Cautiously, Luigi walked toward the machine's grate.

"M—Mario?"

He was knocked flat on his back, slightly winded, as Mario rocketed out of the machine and landed on the other side of the room.

"Mamma mia," Luigi muttered as he stood back up.

Mario lay right in front of him, face-down, legs slowly swaying in the air. Then, he flopped into a sitting position, the machine's frame around his neck, disoriented and sufficiently battered—

But alive.

And free.

And looking absolutely ridiculous.

As Gadd and the four Toads ran over to tend to Mario, a peal of laughter tore from Luigi. Followed by another. And another. And another—until he was laughing so hard his stomach hurt. Laughing at the hilarious sight of Mario, dizzy with a metal frame around his neck. Laughing at the fact that Mario was bruised—but still in one piece. Laughing because—it was over.

Over.

The man in green wasn't just laughing anymore. He was crying. Hot tears raced down his face as he cried and laughed with unrestrained relief. His shoulders heaved and his whole body shuddered as he released all of the emotions he'd bottled up inside throughout this adventure. He had done it. Mario was _okay_.

Gadd and the Toads eventually pulled that metal frame off of Mario, who began to recover his wits. He blinked a few times, as if confused—before his gaze fell on Luigi.

Luigi quieted as their eyes met.

And then a slow smile spread across Mario's face.

"Luigi," the elder brother uttered. "Hey, hey. Luigi…"

"M—M—Mario…" gasped Luigi.

And then the proverbial floodgates came crashing down.

"Mario!"

Luigi was at Mario's side in one leap, dropping to his knees, throwing his arms around him and hugging him close.

"Luigi," Mario said softly as he returned the embrace, positioning Luigi's head so that it rested against his chest, his green cap touching the base of his chin. "My Luigi. My baby bro—my brave, brave baby bro…"

At that point, Luigi completely lost it, sobbing uncontrollably in Mario's arms, his elder brother's warmth and protection encircling him. The two brothers clutched each other tightly, the elder combing his fingers through the younger's hair, and nobody would be able to pry them apart. After what King Boo had done to them, could you honestly blame them?

This—this moment right here—was exactly why Luigi had taken up the Poltergust and ventured into that horror-stuffed mansion in spite of his fears. And if he had to do it again if it meant seeing Mario by his side once more, then he would.

He most definitely would.

"Ah—Luigi," sighed Mario. "This—feels nice."

Luigi's sobs began to subside, and he trailed one hand down the small of Mario's back. "I'm sorry, Bro," he sniffled.

"What for?" whispered Mario.

"Getting you into this. Those Boos tricked me, and…"

"They tricked both of us," said Mario. "We'll share the blame. And I'm sorry, too—for putting you through all of that…"

"It isn't your fault," said Luigi. "I'll stop blaming myself if you do the same. Deal?"

"Deal," Mario said quietly.

Luigi toyed with the bangs along the back of Mario's neck. "Big Bro—so many things were going through my mind when I saw you up there…"

"Ditto…"

"I was completely terrified," said Luigi, the tears starting up again. "Your face was what kept me from freezing up or turning back." He sobbed profusely, deeply but quietly. "H—how do you do it, Mario? You're not scared of things like this…"

Mario's face turned solemn. "I was tonight."

Luigi was taken aback. "W—what?"

"I was scared—I'd lose you," Mario confessed with a heavy sigh, "and I'd be the one to blame. When—you walked into that Secret Altar and stared down King Boo, I knew that your death would be the only price he'd willingly accept. He'd do anything and everything to keep me as his prize. Then, he jumped into that suit—that was when I was truly afraid. I wasn't afraid of King Boo, because I knew you were coming to get me. I was afraid—for _you_. Seeing you die and knowing that I could've prevented it has always been my greatest fear. I don't show it—but it's there. It's just like you said in Mrs. Dawes's class—heroes can have fears, too."

"Mario, I…" Luigi exploded in tears. "Oh, _Mario_!"

"Hey," soothed Mario. "It's okay. Don't cry…"

But Luigi couldn't help it. He felt so good, so safe and so _refreshed_ in his brother's arms. He'd endured a night of horror for his sake. And now, there was the knowledge that Mario wasn't fearing for his own life, but for Luigi's, even as those Boos did God knows _what_ to him…

"Mario…my Big Bro..." Luigi said in a choked voice.

"D—mit, Luigi—now you're gonna make _me_ cry!" Mario exclaimed as he gave up the fight, weeping into Luigi's shoulder, which made Luigi sob even more. Kneeling together in Gadd's lab, the Super Mario Brothers cried and cried and cried and cried and cried in each other's arms, and then they cried some more.

"I almost lost you!" hiccupped Luigi.

"But—you didn't," Mario said, "and you never will. I swear it, Luigi."

"What happened tonight—I'll go through that over and over and _over_ if it means seeing you safe and sound!"

"Luigi! My bro!" sobbed Mario. "You came—I knew you would…"

"You can—always count on me, Bro…"

"Thank God for you," sniffled Mario. "Thank God for you! There should be more brothers like you out there!"

They remained in each other's arms, drenching each other with their tears. Together, their sobs gradually died down, their breathing steadied, and they simply basked in their tender reunion, savoring each other's presence and touch and essence and—everything.

And then—there was nothing but serene silence, save for the two brothers breathing in sync.

**…**

A little later, Gadd poked his head inside to check on the reunited brothers, the four Toads at his heels.

"Are you doing okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," Luigi replied, his voice a tad jerky from crying. "Thank you."

He and Mario rose to their feet.

"Bro," said Luigi. "I'd like you to meet Professor Elvin Gadd—E. Gadd for short. When those ghosts first accosted me, he was there to whisk me to safety. He armed me and taught me how to capture ghosts. If it weren't for him, then we'd both be in King Boo's clutches."

"Hello, Professor," said Mario, shaking Gadd's hand.

"And—you must be the famous Mario," Gadd replied.

"Indeed, I am. You really came through for my bro tonight—and because of that, I'm forever in your debt."

Gadd blushed. "Had to do what I had to do," he said.

The Mario Bros followed Gadd into the study, where the four Toads helped the elderly professor treat Mario's wounds. Luigi held his elder brother's hand the whole time, feeling a pang in his heart whenever Mario gasped, grunted or winced in pain.

Gadd turned to Luigi, sensing his distress. "He'll be all right," he said reassuringly, "but I don't recommend him engaging in any strenuous activity for the next few days, and that goes for you, too."

"Understood," said Luigi.

"What shall we tell Peach?" asked Conrad.

"Mario and Luigi are in no condition to travel at the moment," said Gadd. "I'd like them to stay here until the worst of their injuries have healed."

"But—you can tell her we're safe," Mario added. "She must be worried sick."

"She is," said Brad.

Thad sighed in relief. "I'm just glad this nightmare is over," he said. "We'll head back to the capital in the morning to tell Peach the good news."

He sidled over to the window and peered out.

"Look," he gasped in wonder. "It's a sunrise."

The Mario Bros, Gadd and the four Toads went outside for a better look. And indeed, the dawn was breaking. The sky had lightened, the edges of the horizon taking on a lovely pink and orange hue. Golden rays began stretching across Boo Woods, bathing everything it touched in a warm light. Mario and Luigi closed their eyes as the approaching sunlight caressed their faces. After arguably the roughest night of their lives, the two of them were fully at peace.

Briskly, Gadd walked back into the lab, emerging with a blanket, which he spread over the dew-speckled grass. Thad and Brad did their part, bringing out a platter piled high with sandwiches and a cooler full of soda. Everyone made themselves comfortable on that blanket, sitting back and enjoying this beauteous sight. Slowly, the sun continued its climb over the lip of the earth, banishing the darkness and heralding the arrival of a brand-new day.


	27. Postscript (GOOD ENDING CONT'D)

**One year later…**

And so—the matter of the ghosts was settled. Life went on for the Mario Bros and their friends in the MK, but it wasn't exactly the same. Both wound up seeing a psychiatrist once a week to cope with the emotional aftermath of their ordeal, and they had to contend with periodic nightmares, as well. However, they maintained their optimistic outlook on life and vowed to brave these hurdles the same way they'd braved the hurdles of the past—together.

As for Professor Elvin Gadd, he was so grateful to Luigi for restoring his gallery of portrait ghosts that he decided to do something special for him. Using all of the treasure Luigi had collected that night, Gadd, with the help of a few contractors and a construction crew, built the man in green his very own mansion!

Barely a fortnight after the new mansion was completed, Professor Gadd invited Mario and Luigi back to his lab and then led them to the brand-new property, perched atop a grassy hill.

"All righty," said Gadd when they reached their destination. "Tell me what you think!"

"Whoa…" breathed Luigi as he drank in the sight.

What a mansion it was! It was surrounded by a spacious yard with a fountain, and there was a garden—a suitable place for some midday contemplation. The mansion itself was three stories high and resembled a three-tiered cake, painted white with bright green accents. There were three rooftop arches, and the centermost arch was decorated with a bold green "L". Professor Gadd, the contractors and the construction crew had put their blood, sweat and tears into this venture, turning the gorgeous new house into a truly wonderful gift.

"Professor," Luigi said after a while. "Is this—for me?"

"You bet your life it is," replied Gadd. "My special 'thank you' to you."

A joyful flush rose to Luigi's cheeks as he hugged the elderly professor.

Gadd chuckled in response. "I knew you'd like it," he mused.

"What can I say?" Mario warmly asked. "You've definitely earned this."

Luigi smoothed his hair. "Oh, Bro…"

"But you have," said Mario. "When I was at King Boo's mercy, I wasn't even thinking of Peach—I was thinking of you—only you. That tyrant tried to break me, but he failed. I kept telling myself, 'I _know_ I'll make it through this, because I have my bro'. If there was an award for the World's Best and Most Dependable Brother, then it would go to you."

Mario enveloped Luigi in a hug as Gadd smiled on.

"What are your plans for this new mansion?" Gadd asked once the Bros separated.

"I'll probably use this as a timeshare," Luigi replied. "Stay here over the summer—and whenever I need time for myself, I'll retreat here."

"Sounds like a plan," said Mario.

Luigi then shook hands with Gadd. "Will I—ever see you again?" he asked.

"Anything is possible," Gadd replied with a wink, "but no doubt, our paths will cross again."

The elderly professor then pressed the new mansion's keys into Luigi's hand. "All the best to you, youngster," he said quietly.

"Ditto," replied Luigi.

He turned and offered his arm to Mario. "Shall we?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah—let's-a go!" Mario cheerfully replied.

Mario slipped his arm into Luigi's, and Gadd watched the two of them head up the walkway, unlock the door and enter the green-clad plumber's new residence.

When the action is over, and we look back, we understand both more and less. This much is certain. Before that fateful night, Luigi Mario was merely the timid, cautious half of the Super Mario Brothers. And after—he was the cautious yet committed Mario Bro who'd rise to the occasion if a loved one was threatened. As word of the adventure spread, the Toads seemed to realize for the first time that Luigi was just as resourceful as Mario, resolving to put more of their faith in him. Koopa seemed to realize that Luigi could more than hold his own in a throwdown as much as his more famous twin, resolving to take him more seriously the next time they clashed.

It was a night that changed both Mario Bros. Mario visibly took more precautions when going into certain situations, and he was more likely to consult Luigi, Peach and the rest of his friends for advice. He wasn't completely invincible, and he'd learned that the hard way. Luigi, for his part, walked from place to place with a bigger skip in his step and a bigger smile on his face, knowing that he had more courage and fortitude than he'd previously given himself credit for and vowing to focus more on the sunnier aspects of things.

The haunted mansion in Boo Woods, to Luigi at least, represented a turning point, a moment where he first tapped into and embraced his hidden bravery. He'd nearly been brought down, but he rose from the ashes of his fears to keep his vow and defend his sibling.

He also emerged with a new friend and a nifty new gadget, but that's missing the point.

Luigi suffered greatly that night, and so did Mario, but they ultimately grew stronger. It wasn't inevitable. King Boo and his brethren tried their souls, and through that trial—

—they overcame.

**FINE**

* * *

**Thank you all for reading! Let's get hyped for LM 3!**


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